Dreaming
by gabs88
Summary: Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have wanted it to. How could that change?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes.  
**Note: **This is my first attempt at a longer Callie and Arizona fic. So here we go!

**This starts from the end of season five episode twenty two, then goes its own way. I will run parallels with the show at times though but some events are changed so they fit with my plot :) because I can do that.**

**Chapter One.  
Bliss**

Stretching onto her back, Callie reached an arm across her bed and frowned to feel it empty. The other side should have had a half asleep blonde in it. Bringing her hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes, Callie forced them open. Still half asleep, she looked across the bed to confirm what her hand had just told her. Very empty. Sitting up slightly on her elbow, Callie looked around her room. A half smile fell on her lips. Douvet cover on the floor, clothes in disarray around the room. All a sign of the pure awesomeness of last night. She looked at the bedside clock and saw it was only five thirty in the morning. Her smile grew a little at the site of the empty pizza box sitting next to it, eaten piece by piece at various stages throughout the night.

Her wits slowly coming to her, Callie heard the water running and finally realised Arizona had slipped off into the shower.

Four weeks in, and Callie knew she was smitten. Usually one to fall hard and fast, she knew that four weeks wasn't long. But with how she was feeling, damn the time rules. Because she was one very smitten kitten. And she had already broken one of her usual habits, and that was enough personal growth for her for the time being. She had waited awhile to sleep with Arizona. She was generally, and this wasn't something she was proud of, a first or second date kind of girl.

Arizona was different.

Erica had taken awhile due to the general fear of what sex would entail. She'd waited with Arizona because she had a slight fear of getting burnt again, but also because she genuinely wanted to get to know her. They'd also had their first kind of argument the day before, and she had discovered that they made up very, very well.

Laying back down, Callie rolled onto her stomach and buried her smiling face into a pillow. It only made her smile more as the smell of Arizona invaded her senses.

Sex with Arizona was what had expected sex with Erica to be. It was different. She didn't believe it was a girl thing versus a boy thing. She was starting to think it was simply an Arizona and Callie thing.

Rolling back and slipping out of bed herself, Callie padded across the carpet and into the bathroom, knocking slightly on the door so as not to startle Arizona. As nice as it would have been to just slide in quietly behind her, she didn't feel like getting a black eye because she shocked her by having someone enter the shower without warning.

It sounds funny, but she'd accidently done that exact thing to her first boyfriend after he crept in, trying to be smooth.

Callie saw Arizona turn in the shower. She blessed God, the building's Architect and sand in general for getting hot for the fact that she had a glass shower at that point. Arizona was wet, naked and looked incredible.

Arizona's lips quirked up in a grin, "Hey, you. Join me?"

Not needing to be asked twice, Callie pulled open the door and slid in. Steam billowed around them. Callie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Arizona's waist. She almost shivered at the feeling of her wet skin pressed flush up against her.

Arizona's arms wrapped around her and she felt Arizona nuzzle into her neck, kissing the damp skin there.

"Calliope?" Arizona's voice was husky, almost a whisper.

Callie hummed in response.

"Did you know you taste absolutely amazing?"

Callie felt her face flush with heat. Tilting her head down, she brushed her lips down Arizona's cheek, stopping near her lips, not quite making contact. She looked into Arizona's shockingly blue eyes, eyes she sometimes felt could see straight through her.

Eyes that had darkened last night with desire. Eyes that had looked up at her from between her legs as she came, the look in them intensifying her oragsm ten fold.

Eyes that at this moment, had the same look as last night.

Callie brushed her lips closer to Arizona's. That look in Arizona's eye pulled her in and she pressed her lips against the blondes, relishing in the feel of her mouth opening against hers, her tongue rolling against her own.

This woman was going to be the death of her.

They emerged an hour later, hair still damp. Arizona took a seat at the bar in the kitchen, leaning on her chin on her hands and watching Callie float around the kitchen, making coffee and getting food organised.

"Do you need a hand?"

Callie looked up from the spooning coffee into the coffee make and smile, "I've got it." She leant over the bar and Arizona met her half way, pressing a kiss onto her lips. Callie had meant to make it a quick kiss, something light, but she found them both deepening it. Arizona's mouth parted and Callie sucked on her bottom lip, still swollen from the hours over night and their not so quickie in the shower.

Dropping the bag of coffee on the bar, she raised a hand up behind Arizona's neck, pulling her in tighter. She felt Arizona's hand lift up to rest her fingertips on her collarbone. Callie sighed into the kiss as Arizona trailed her fingers down, slipping them under the collar of her shift and running the tips around the outline of her bra. Her fingers started to slip under the material, the thought of coffee and breakfast and the fact that they had made a pact in the shower to actually get to work on time forgotten.

The sound of her door swinging open made them both jump and turn, hands falling away.

A very delighted looking Mark stood in the doorway, "Ladies, please, don't stop because of me."

Arizona sat down, looking disgruntled. Callie rolled her eyes, returning to making the coffee and slipping toast into the toaster.

"There's such a thing as knocking, Mark."

Mark shrugged, "Why would I do that when it means missing out on moments like that one?"

Callie raised an eyebrow at him over the coffee pot, "Stop. Or I'll take my spare key off of you."

Mark did nothing to tone down his grin, but swallowed back whatever his next comment was and sat himself down beside Arizona, who leaned back in her bar stool.

"Morning, Mark."

"It would appear to be a good morning, Blondie."

Callie rolled her eyes again. Trust Mark.

"So, I got my role of best man taken away from me yesterday. I was looking forward to looking stupidly chiseled in my suit up near that alter."

Callie laughed as she handed over a coffee to each of the two seated at the bench, "I think everyone would have been looking at Derek, anyway."

Arizona blew on the top of her coffee and took a sip. Callie tried not to stare at her lips as the made a perfect 'O' and then wrapped them around the rim of the cup.

"Well, my moment's gone anyway. There's no way those two are getting down the aisle now. Grey will happily stay engaged until she's old and grey." Mark smirked at his own joke and stared pointedly at the women in front of him, "Come on. That was funny."

Arizona raised her eyebrows at him as she took another sip of coffee.

"I think little Grey has killed your humour." Callie said with a smirk, sipping her own coffee.

####

Life at work had gotten intense. Izzie had seemed like she may be improving, but rumur around the hospital was she had another tumour in her brain and Derek wanted to operate and the Oncology surgeon wanted chemotherapy. Karev appeared near breaking point, his post 'I wed Izzy' happy moment gone at the news of the decision they faced. Merideth and Derek were wondering around like they'd gotten married when really they'd gotten out of their wedding from hell. George looked ready to throw in the towel and leave all together. Christina and Hunt...well, no one knew what was going on with those two.

Callie and Arizona were apparently the only two wondering around in a blissfull bubble. Well, except maybe Sloan and Little Grey. They seemed to have a bubble, too.

Callie was not comfortable with the surgery she had just carried out. Amputating a healthy leg did not sit well with her, and she still didn't feel as if she should have let Hunt talk her into it.

Walking into the hallway after scrubbing out, Callie just wanted to sit down and have some lunch with Arizona. She needed to hash out the last four hours. Looking at her watch she almost pouted. It was after three, way past lunch time. Callie pondered a power nap. A fifteen minute crashout in the nearest on call room would be heaven. She pondered paging Arizona to the room for something a little more fun than napping, but remembered she had her big surgery to lure in Bailey today.

Pouting more now that she'd have to nap alone, Callie stopped at the nearest on call room and pushed the door open gingerly, poking her head around it to peer inside. A sigh of relief left her lips. The room was empty. Far more often than she would have liked she got bombarded with the site of naked people doing naked time things when on the search for a place to sleep.

Then she heard a hiccough. Confused, Callie poked her head further into the room. Someone, a very blonde someone, was leaning against the wall looking at the ground. Callie flicked the light on and saw Arizona in front of her.

Delighted, Callie stepped in and shut the door behind her, flipping the lock.

The delight fell away as Arizona looked up, startled to be caught. Her eyes were red and it was clear she'd been crying.

"Arizona?" Calie stepped forward, "What's wrong?" They hadn't been dating long and Callie was still learning things about Arizona. Like if she wanted to be cuddled when upset, or left alone, or given space and time to talk.

She figured she did the right thing when Arizona stood up straighter and wiped her eyes, "Calliope." She gave a watery smile, "Nothings wrong."

Callie quirked an eyebrow at her, "Clearly."

Arizona sighed, "I stood up to Chief Webber"

Callie looked confused. Then amused.

"I have authority issues. "

Callie pursed her lips together.

Arizona heaved a sigh, "I'm not even upset or sad. I stand up to authority figures, especially those with an air like my father, and that's it. I'm done."

Callie pursed her lips tighter.

"Are-are you trying not to laugh at me?"

Callie made her eyes wide. She didn't attempt to speak. She didn't think she could. She attempted to shake her head 'no'.

Arizona gave a 'huff' and went to stalk past Callie to the door. Callie grabbed at her arm and could help it, she burst out laughing.

Arizona stood there, looking half amused and half pissed off, as Callie clung to her and laughed.

"That," Callie gasped, "Is the most adorable thing I've ever heard."

Arizona pressed her lips together and rolled her eyes, but allowed Callie to cling to her as her laughter subsided.

####

Arizona had Callie pressed against her apartment door, grateful the hallway to that level was empty. Callie was desperately using one hand to hunt for her keys and the other was wrapped in Arizona's hair, not wanting to stop what they were doing for a second.

Arizona pulled her lips away, moving them to kiss along Callie's jaw line and down her neck. She loved Callies jaw. She had the most amazing bone structure.

"Callie," Arizona moved her lips to just below Callie's ear lobe, "Open your door. Now."

Callie whimpered, "Can't find my keys."

Arizona grazed her teeth against Callie's skin. Pushing her thigh up between her legs, she rocked against Callie, feeling the woman roll her hips against her in response. Running her hand down Callie's side, she slipped her hand into her pocket, feeling Callie gasp at her searching fingers.

She pulled the keys out with a jingle, "These keys?"

She held them up innocently.

Callie grinned and snatched them, turning around to open the door. They half fell through it, Arizona shoving it closed behind her. They kept their momentum, kissing all the while, leaving a trail of clothes behind them that led to the bedroom.

Callie pushed Arizona down onto the bed, forced to follow as the woman wrapped her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist. Callie put her hand to Arizona's thigh, feeling their bodies pressed tight against each other. She never would have known how much she could love the feel of a woman with her legs wrapped around her, nothing but the material of her underwear separating her heat from her own. Callie rocked herself against her, relishing in how Arizona threw her head back, leaving her neck exposed. Callie ran her lips down her skin, sucking at her pulse point.

The hospital was a mess. Karev and Izzie were stuck making the impossible decision to cut or poison a tumor away. Hunt was choking people, or well, dealing with the repercussions of that. George's sad eyes followed Callie everywhere. Bailey was torn between specialties.

But here? Here everything was perfect.

Callie ran her tongue over Arizona's nipple, smirking to herself as fingers wrapped into her hair none too gently and a hiss escaped from the blondes mouth.

Here, nothing was touching them.

Except each other.

####

Arizona stood at the nurses station, clicking her pen absent mindedly as she stared at the notes in front of her.

Five weeks. Almost five weeks now, her and Callie had been dating. They had now been sleeping together for a few days of that.

The sex was mind blowing.

Arizona clicked her pen one last time and leant over the notes, signing off on what she had been entering.

The sex was mind blowing and she couldn't remember the last time she had dated someone for almost five weeks.

Five weeks was not a long time. It was incredibly short, really. They still had a hell of a lot of things to learn about each other. Her embarrassing moment yesterday when she was caught teared up showed that.

Yet still, this was her longest dating period in a long time. And there was just something about them when they were together. Arizona felt they were just...fluid. They laughed, and danced and talked. It all came so easily.

Arizona handed the notes to a nurse who was reaching for them with a smile.

Good God, the sex was mind blowing.

Walking down the hallway towards the cafeteria, Arizona slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. Entering the room, she spied Callie sitting near the back. She had two trays in front of her. Arizona walked up to the table, smiling as Callie looked up and saw her heading over and smiled herself. Callies smile took her breath away.

Callie pushed a chair out for her, "I hope you like mac and cheese. Atleast that's what I think it is."

Arizona picked up a plastic fork and poked at it. She put the fork down and instead popped a cherry tomato in her mouth, "The salad looks amazing."

Callie laughed, "Smart choice."

"Dinner at your place tonight? I'll cook."

Callie looked intruiged, "You cook?"

"I'll have you know, Calliope, I work magic in the kitchen."

Callie raised her eyebrows, "Oh, I believe that."

"We need to get through one task without...that. At some point, anyway." Arizona popped a piece of carrot in her mouth, not really meaning what she was saying.

Callie smirked slightly, "We brushed our teeth this morning."

"You barely let me rinse out the toothepaste before I was pressed against the bathroom sink."

"Dinner. Tonight. You're cooking."

"Deal."

####

The ringing was getting insistent and Arizona was having trouble getting into her bag. Juggling several bags of groceries, she was not having much luck getting into her hand bag. Standing in front of Callies door, she considered head butting it as a form of knocking then realised she could just put the bags down. Before she got to that, the door swung open and Callie leant forward rescuing her from the bags.

"I could hear you ringing from the bedroom."

Arizona flashed her a grin, "Thanks"

Fishing her phone out of her bag, she frowned at the 'Private Number' flashing at her and flipped it open, "Arizona Robbins?"

Callie wandered in with the bags, putting them down on the bar top and starting to unpack, not paying any attention to the conversation going on in her door way. She flicked her eyes up to perve quickly, marveling at how insanely hot Arizona was. Not many women pulled of knee high boots and skinny jeans like she could.

Slightly disappointed she hadn't gotten to follow through on the plan of pushing Arizona against the door as she'd entered the apartment and showing her just what she'd been thinking of all day, romantic home cooked meal be damned, Callie figured it was probably a good thing. Currently, every moment turned sexual with them, and maybe if they atleast started cooking dinner they'd complete that task before getting distracted by each other.

"Thank you. I'll, ah, talk to you tomorrow."

Callie looked up from where she was pouring Arizona a glass of white wine. Handing it over to the blonde across the bar top, she drew her eyebrows together in a puzzled expression at the look on Arizona's face.

"Is everything okay?"

Arizona reached forward to take the glass of wine. She didn't drink it, just placed it in front of her, keeping a hand on it like it was a security blanket.

"Yeah. It's...it's good."

Arizona was staring at her wine, not looking Callie in the eye.

Callie was getting more confused.

Arizona drew in a breath, finally raising her eyes up to look at Callie, "That call was to tell me I just won a Carter Madison Grant."

Callies mouth fell open and she almost dropped the bottle of red she had started to pour herself. Blinking once, she gasped.

"OH my God! Arizona!" Callie put the bottle down, walking quickly around the kitchen top towards Arizona, who had dropped her eyes back to the wine glass and was staring at it was a distant look on her face. "Arizona! That's amazing! I didn't know you applied. Congratulations!"

Reaching a hand out, she pulled Arizona into a hug. She felt her arms wrap loosly around her waist. Pulling back slightly, Callie raised her hands up to cup Arizona's cheeks, a delighted grin on her face.

"Look at you, you're in shock."

"Callie-"

"A Carter Maddison! I'm dating a Carter Maddison winner. Get that shocked look off your face, this is incred-"

"Calliope!" Callie snapped her mouth shut. Arizona raised her hands to sit over Callies, still resting on her face. She looked intently into Callie's eyes for a minute. Arizona's face was a cross between trepidation and excitement. "Callie. The grants for an application I made six months ago. It's to open a clinic. In Malawi." Callies mouth fell open again. "Malawi, Africa. For two years."

Arizona felt what she'd been dreading.

She felt Callie's hands slip off from her cheeks, out from her grasp.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes.  
**Note: **This is my first attempt at a longer Callie and Arizona fic. So here we go!

**Chapter Two  
Reality**

_Two Weeks Previously_

"You've not slept together yet!?"

"Mark!" Callie hit him in the arm. Hard. "Lower your voice!" Her eyes darted nervously around the cafeteria.

"Tores, it wasn't so long ago we were trying to claw each other off sleeping in on call rooms with hot interns, and you're telling me its been three weeks and you've not done the dirty with the paeds surgeon?"

Right now, Callie was regretting that this was the person who knew everything about her.

"I don't want this to just be sweaty sex in an on call room."

"You don't want sweaty sex in an on call room?" Sloan's voice was monotone, his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

Callie sighed and leant back in her chair, blowing her hair off of her face. She pushed her sleeves further up her elbow's, then leant back forward again, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands.

"Yes, damn you, I want sweaty sex in an on call room. You missed however, libido boy, the I don't want it to be _just _sweaty sex in an on call room."

Sloan bit into his apple, shaking his head, "It can be both."

Callie leant forward and stole a fry off of his plate, "You're just saying that because you've never, ever waited. Once. In your life."

"I might have!" Sloan used his indignant, five year old boy voice.

It was Callie's turn to raise her eyebrows disbelievingly at him.

"Okay, I haven't. But I could."

"You lasted about two days in our 'No Sleeping With An Intern' program. You didn't make it past step one."

"Shut up, that thing was a trap, there was only one step."

Callie smirked to herself.

"Mark." Callies voice went small. She poked at her salad. "I just...Erica left. Gone, no speaking, no text, number switched off and gone. We were sleeping together, she got to know me, decided she didn't like what she saw and left."

"Erica was an idiot. And no where near as hot as blondie."

Callie actually laughed, "Yeah, well, hot ones can leave, too."

"Callie," Mark leant forward and put a hand on her shoulder, his voice genuine, "It seems like this one is sticking around. She knows Erica was your first, she knows you bat for both teams. You need to trust her."

Callie looked up from her salad, "I do trust her. It scares me how much I do. I think that's actually part of what's stopping me."

Mark stood up, his hand still on her shoulder, "Stop over thinking it. Go, get yours!"

With a final squeeze of her shoulder he turned to leave, "I'm off to change a life."

"Your next surgery is a tummy tuck, Mark."

"And her life will be changed!"

Callie laughed out loud.

####

_Present_

"I would just like to let you all know, I am very happy to announce that Seattle Grace has its very own Carter Madison Grant winner!"

The chief looked absolutely delighted, standing at the head of the conference table at the staff meeting, looking around at the crowd gathered.

When the words finally sunk in, everyone in the room started murmuring, trying to figure out who had won the countries most sort after grant.

"Doctor Robbins, would you like to come up here."

Arizona stood up from her place at the table, walking to stand beside the chief. He clapped a hand around her shoulder, his own joy at the news noticeable.

Everyone around the room started clapping.

"Doctor Robbins will be leaving in three days to start up a clinic in Malawi. She'll be there two years, putting that money to use in a country that really needs it."

The Chief spoke on. Marks hands were still held together like he was ready to restart clapping, the surprise written all over his face where he sat at the table. He looked over his shoulder, trying to catch Callie's eye where she stood leaning against the back wall. She was staring at Arizona, her look unreadable, hands buried in her lab coat pocket.

Mark swung his head back around to look at Arizona. Her face was lit up in a smile, flashing those paediatric friendly dimples.

"And hopefully this is a clinic we can start sending our very own paediatric residents and fellows to for their international rotations!" The Chief summed up, "So, congratulations Arizona Robbins, you've bought prestige to this hospital and achieved something beyond a lot of our wildest dreams. While we'll be sad to lose such a highly regarded member of staff, we're proud of one of our own achieving something so impressive. And of course, there'll always be a position here for you when you get back, if you want one."

The room erupted into clapping again.

Mark slowly brought his hands together a few times, then stood with everyone else, most moving forward to congratulate Arizona. He turned around to speak to Callie, but only managed to catch a glimpse of her head disappearing out the door. He looked back at the smiling Arizona, shaking peoples hands and accepting congratulations.

He followed Callie, only to reach the hallway and not see a sign of which way she had gone.

Arizona glanced at the door after first Callie's then Mark's retreating backs, her smile faltering once before turning back to the person in front of her.

####

_Last night_

Arizona's cheeks felt cold.

Callie stepped back slightly, her hands by her side.

"Calliope. I-I applied months ago. I didn't think anything would come of it. I applied at my fathers urging. I'd been speaking of Africa ever since I came back after my grad year. I saw so many kids over there who were disfigured, and-and struggling with conditions that just need simple surgeries. Things...things happened that stopped me going earlier and I decided to just go for it."

Callie was looking at her, her head tilted slightly to one side.

Arizona felt like something was trapped in her chest. She had just won a Carter Madison grant. To save tiny humans in a country that had no resources to do it on its own. Excitement was balled up, itching to escape. But the shock that had overtaken her at the call, the realisation of what it meant, was layered over the excitement. Her chest felt heavy.

"It's one of the only things, besides being a surgeon, I have ever dreamed of doing. I..." Arizona's voice trailed off. She swallowed loudly.

Callie was still just looking at her, head in the same position. She slowly raised her arms up to cross over her chest. And just continued to look at her.

Arizona got fidgety. She bounced slightly on her heels. She swallowed again.

A crack of thunder sounded, the room bursting with light as lightning cracked.

Both women jumped. The sound of rain echoed around the very silent room.

Arizona looked at the window, then back to Callie.

Callie blinked, finally, "I love a storm."

Arizona breathed slowly through her lips. At least she was speaking now.

She gave a half smile at Callie, "Me too."

Callie leant towards the bench, picking up the glasses of wine she'd poured and handed the glass of white to Arizona.

Arizona accepted the glass and took a sip. Her eyes widened over the rim as she watched Callie tilt the glass to her lips and swallow the entire glass full. She watched her walk around the bench and top her glass back up. She held the bottle of white towards Arizona, who held her glass out and let Callie top it up.

Callie put the bottle back down and put both hands flat on the bench, leaning forward.

"Africa?"

Arizona took a large swallow of wine.

"Africa."

Callie was looking at her. Those huge, expressive eyes not leaving her face.

"For two years?"

"For two years."

The head tilt was back. And Callie was just...staring at her.

"Your dream couldn't be for Portland? Or to build tiny surgical instruments for tiny humans, Arizona?"

Arizona gave a small smile, "That would have been simpler. Though maybe not Carter Madison grant level of interesting."

Callie gave a smile, a mirror of the sad attempt Arizona just made, "No. I guess not."

She bought wine to her lips and finished half the glass.

Arizona figured she may as well join. She finished hers and walked forward, filling her glass herself this time.

Callie raised her glass towards Arizona, "Congratulations."

She even managed to sound sincere.

Arizona raised her glass and they clinked them together.

"Thank you." Her voice was quiet. She couldn't squash a smile that played slightly on her lips. _A Carter Madison._

They both drank.

Callie remembered the first night they had drunk wine. She had found out Arizona like white, the only alcohol Callie herself couldn't stomach. So she had bought a bottle of both her favourite red and a bottle of white the guy at the register reccommended. It was the night she had had to pull Hunt off of Christina.

But before that, before the night turned hideous, it had been the most fun she had had in a long time. They had bonded over their mutual love of wine. They had finished each of their bottles. They had danced, for hours. And then they had made out like drunken teenagers on the couch. They had gotten dangerously close to crossing the line. They had giggled. Callie had had to hide a hickey at work.

She had never enjoyed being drunk more.

Callie tilted the glass back and finished it, again. She filled it, again. She topped up Arizona's, again.

And then she sat on the couch.

Arizona stayed at the bench, turning around and nursing her glass of wine against her chest. Both their bottles were almost empty.

Arizona stood, clinging to her glass, and looked at Callie seated on the couch.

"Can I join you?"

Callie leant back on the cushions, her wine in her hand sitting on the couch next to her. She looked up at Arizona with a small smile, "Of course."

Arizona sat next to her, swinging herself to sit facing her, bringing up a leg to sit on it. She put her arm so it sat along the back rest of the couch, her hand just sitting behind Callie's head.

Callie let out a long breath, sitting up and turning around to face Arizona, crossing her legs on the couch.

"I'm sorry." Callie smiled softly, and lifted a hand up to brush Arizona's hair behind her ear, "This is such amazing news for you. It's incredible." Callie let her hand still on Arizona's cheek, "You're incredible."

Arizona smiled, "It's okay. I'm in some shock myself."

Callie dropped her hand, finished her wine and put the glass on the coffee table. Arizona finished hers, swaying a little as she put her glass next to Callie.

"And now I'm a little drunk."

Callie gave a small laugh, "Yup, me too."

Arizona brought her hand up and placed it behind Callie's neck, pulling her forward and resting their foreheads together.

"I won a Carter Madison."

She finally let a small amount of the excitement that had build out, a smile spreading across her lips.

Callie swallowed, smiling, "You did. I was beginning to think people didn't even win that one." She brought her hands up and ran them down Arizona's thighs letting them sit comfortable against her hips, "I thought it was for old, decrepit dinosaurs to do research. Not for hot, young paed surgeons to run off to Africa and change lives with their bare hands."

"People are suckers for sob stories about tiny humans."

"You pull out the big guns in your application then?"

"Oh, you've no idea. There were photos."

Callie laughed. Arizona smiled again.

"I'm really proud of you."

Arizona pulled back slightly to look searchingly into Callie's eyes, "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

She leant forward, pressing a kiss to Callie's lips. Pulling back slowly, she murmured, "Thank you."

They sat for a second, the rain and occasional roll of thunder the only noise joining their breathing.

"Arizona...what does this mean for us?" Callies voice broke Arizona's heart.

She leant further forward, pulling Callie into a hug. Her face buried into her neck, the blonde let out a slow, shaky breath.

"I really have no idea."

"How...how long until you would have to leave?"

Arizona wrapped her arms around Callies back, digging her fingers into her skin, "Four days. They want me to fly out so I'll arrive Monday morning."

Callie leant backwards, looking Arizona in the eye, "Four days?"

Arizona's head was spinning. She nodded.

Callie smirked slightly, "You're a bit drunk."

Arizona raised an eyebrow up at her, "So are you."

Callie's teasing look fell and she looked crestfallen, "Four days?"

"Four days."

Arizona didn't know what to say to her.

They needed to talk. She had just won a Carter Madison grant. She had the most attractive woman she'd ever known in front of her. She had four days until she was apparently moving to Africa. She cursed herself for putting the date down on the application as starting straight away.

She had come to Callie's tonight to make a romantic dinner and light candles and have sex on the couch. Or the kitchen bench. Or both. Instead they were facing the fact that she was moving continent. Her head wasn't just spinning from wine. Though that was definitely a large part of the reason.

Callie's eyes were shining, "We should talk."

"Yeah. We should talk."

Callie shouldn't have drunk the wine so quickly. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Arizona was leaving. She didn't want her to leave. But there were tiny children in Africa with big, hungry eyes that needed Arizona. But she didn't want her to leave. And she didn't know if she was allowed to say that.

Callie decided words would be bad right now. She'd say all the things that it was too early to say and take away, more than she already had, from Arizona's moment.

Arizona flicked her eyes up and caught Callies.

They both leant forward at once, crushing their lips together. Arizona leant forward, pushing Callie backwards onto the couch.

They were drunk, and this was far more easier than talking.

Arizona felt Callie wrap her legs around her waist. Callies hands were wrapped in her hair, their lips moving frantically against each others. She felt Callie move her hands down her back, her nails digging into her skin as she pulled her shirt up and over her head. Callie wasted no time in putting her hands back to Arizona's naked skin. She slipped her hands under Arizona's waistband, digging her nails into the bare skin of her ass and moaning as she ground her hips up against the blonde.

Arizona ran a hand up under Callie's shirt, feeling goosebumps rise on the girls skin. She let herself fall into the warmth and softness beneath her that was Callie Tores

This was far easier than talking.

####

_Present_

Mark didn't have to look far. He found her in an on call room. To her credit, she wasn't crying.

"What the hell, Tores?"

Callie looked up from where she was sitting on the lower bunk.

"Mark. Not right now."

"She's leaving? In _three days_?"

Callie sighed.

"When did you find this out?"

"Last night. Arizona got the call as she was walking into my apartment. We only found out last night."

Mark appraised her as he shut the door behind him.

"You look like shit."

Callie's mouth dropped open, "Jeese. Way to kick a girl when she's down."

Mark raised his eyebrows at her and crossed his arms across his chest.

Callie blew her hair off her face, "After we found out we drank a bottle of wine each. I'm slightly hung over."

Mark rolled his eyes, "Right. Getting drunk. That's the perfect solution. And then you talked right? So what are you going to do?"

Callie looked up at him sheepishly, "We ah-we didn't talk."

Mark sighed and sat down next to her on the bunk, wrapping an arm around her. Callie gave a shuddering sigh and dropped her head on his shoulder.

"So you found out she was moving cross-continent, got drunk and...?"

"Okay, Mark!" Callie threw her hands up in the air, not moving from her spot of comfort, "We had sex all night. Without words. Not one. I had all these...words swimming around my head I wanted to say and I couldn't say them. And when she looked me in the eye, she did, too. I could tell. So we just..."

"Had a lot of naked sex. Without a single word."

"Not one." Callie sighed, "Mark," her voice was fragile, "what do I do?"

Silence answered her.

"Mark?"

Callie pulled back off his shoulder and looked at him. He had a far away look on his face. Callie smacked him back handed against the chest. "Mark!"

He blinked and laughed, "I'm sorry! I was trying but the image of you two, not talking but just-"

"Get that image out of your head, Mark."

Callie dropped her head back against his shoulder.

"Callie..." Mark bought his hand up back around her, pulling her against him, "I'm all for sex without talking. But you guys gotta talk. She leaves in three days."

That sat silently for a minute.

"I don't want her to go. And I can't say that."

"You can't?"

"She won a Carter Madison, Mark. To save tiny, sick children in Africa. Something she's apparently dreamed of for a long time."

"Typical perky blonde dream."

Callie huffed a small laugh, "We've been together just over four weeks. Not even long enough for me to find out this was one of her biggest dreams. I can't tell her to stay."

Mark rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Did you at least talk this morning?"

Callie shook her head.

"Seriously?!"

"We slept late!" Mark could hear the smirk in her voice at the reason as to _why_ they had slept late, "We slept late, due to the wine and the crazy-crazy sex and had to rush around to get to work and she had to go to Webbers office straight up to let him know."

Mark brought his free hand to tilt her chin up to look him in the eye.

"You gotta talk to her, Tores. She leaves in three days."

"Three days."

"Yeah. Three days."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes.  
**Note: **Thanks for the reviews guys :) Would definitely love to keep hearing what you think. This is a slightly shorter chapter. I hope you keep enjoying :).

**Chapter Three  
Correct**

Arizona smiled her way through congratulations, her experience in paeds making it almost easy for her to look genuine and happy as she acknowledged just how lucky she was to win this grant.

And she _was_ lucky to have won it. Actually, no, she wasn't lucky. She was awesome. She was freaking awesome and had won a Carter Madison.

She just wished that all of her felt as awesome as the majority of her did. She had purposefully avoided looking at Callie throughout the Chiefs speech. She couldn't help, however, looking for her as she smiled and shook hands throughout the congratulations at the end. She caught sight of the back of that beautiful head of hers as she fled the room, Mark soon following.

She managed to excuse herself not long after, claiming sick and injured child somewhere in the building. Finding an on call room several floors below, she locked the door behind her and fell backwards on a bunk. Staring up at the ceiling, she blew a slow breath from between her lips.

Slightly hung over, and post a night of some of the best sex of her life, Arizona was a terrifying mix of ecstatic, terrified, proud and uncertain.

Callie and her needed to talk. She knew that. Last night...last night she had looked into Callie's eyes and seen emotion she wasn't ready to even start acknowledging. So they'd just...well, they'd fucked. It had been intense, and amazing, and they had said nothing they should have said and had avoided the conversation they needed to have.

They had passed out sometime around two am and awoken late and rushed. They shared a hurried kiss as they raced out of Callie's apartment and Arizona had no idea what to do next.

Africa was a dream she had never fully allowed herself to believe in. She had applied six months earlier when she had felt she was in a rut. Yes, she was an attending at a leading hospital; but she wanted more. He life had felt stagnant for years, if she was really honest with herself. Ever since her brother had died.

No one but her brother knew, but she had started to look into Africa a month before he passed away. She had been there in her graduate year and come back with eyes blazing and heart racing for the change she wanted to make. She spoke about it for years. Her brother, a new recruit to the armed forces, had delighted in it. Had filled her up with the dreams of what she could achieve there as a future surgeon. Africa was all she talked about and everyone thought she should do it. With her brother's urging, she finally actually started to look into it.

Then she was standing in an airplane hangar, watching them carry out his coffin covered in a flag she wasn't sure she believed in any more and Africa became something that hurt, ratheA then inflamed her.

And now it was a reality. She felt like she owed it to Tim. To herself.

But what about what she owed Callie?

Groaning, she threw her arms over her eyes, counted to five and got up.

She had patients to see, cases to hand over to fellow attendings.

She had packing to do.

She had three days.

#####

Callie smiled to herself at the satisfying 'POP' as she snapped her patients shoulder back into place.

Nothing made her day better than bones. She would have prefered to be in surgery, slicing into someone and cracking bones to fix them. However, a dislocation purely meant snapping the joint back into place. Over in four seconds.

She enjoyed every part of that four seconds.

She knew that was strange, but hell, she was good at it.

She had stuck to the ER and the Orthopaedic wing all morning, avoiding anywhere Arizona may be. She needed to lose herself in work. Sloan was right, they had to talk. They needed to have a conversation about the fact that they were dating, newly sleeping together, not seeing anyone else but were yet to use the phrase 'girlfriend' and that Arizona was leaving the country in three days. For two years.

Two years.

Callie blew her fringe out of her eyes, looking down at the pale man next to her.

"Good job, Mr O'Brien. Keep this sling on for four weeks and I'll see you in the clinics for follow ups." She signed off his chart, "My intern will be over in a minute to sort out discharge pain relief. No more trying to show your son how you can slam dunk, okay?"

She pushed her sleeves up past her elbows and managed to wink at him as she walked out.

She saw Mark walking towards her down the hallway. She felt the frightened rabbit look over take her face as she quickly turned and pretended to walk the other way.

"Tores! You can't avoid me, too. You need to talk to her!"

She sped up, raising an arm in the air to wave acknowledgment, "I know!"

Two freaking years.  
####

It amazed Arizona that she had seen Callie every day since they had started dating. Multiple times, even, they would run into each other. They'd share a coffee, some lunch, maybe a kiss.

Now? Now she hadn't seen her in-Arizona checked her watch-six and a half hours.

She walked out of a conference room post talking to one of her colleagues, her patient load all handed over. She wasn't sure how much she'd be contactable when she first got to Africa and needed to make sure they had all the information.

Stopping at the nurses station, Arizona flipped open one of her files to write the last lot of notes she had left.

"So you urge me to apply for a big, fancy paeds fellowship and then flee the country?"

Arizona smiled, "Bailey." She turned around to face the smaller woman. She kept the smile on her face even though her arms were across her chest and she was raising an unimpressed eyebrow at her.

"Doctor Robbins."

"Whether I'm here or not, you belong in paeds. It's hard-core, like you."

"Mmhm."

Silence beat around them for a minute.

"I mean it."

Bailey blew out a breath, her shoulders slumping slightly and looking almost resigned, "I have one of my residents getting yelled at by her new husband to do a surgery she had decided against. Another one of them is looking ready to bolt. And now the attending I was looking up to is leaving the country."

"To help tiny humans in Af-"

"Because she has a huge bleeding heart and won one of the most prestigious grants around. And if you ask me, she's not looking excited enough about it-"

"I am excited, I ju-"

"And she keeps interrupting me when I'm trying to make a point." Arizona feel silent. "There's a lot of heavy stuff happening. I just had my husband inform me that if I go back to the hours that will face me as a new fellow, instead of working sensible hours as an Attending in General Surgery, our marriage is over. People, our people, are ridden with cancer and looking at me with big cancer eyes. You've been looking like someone shot your puppy whenever you think no one's looking anymore." Bailey pulled her shoulders back, giving someone a lecture putting some wind back in her sails, "Perk up! You won a Carter Madison. A _Carter Madison._"

Arizona looked after her with one eyebrow raised as Bailey turned on her heel and walked off down the hallway.

She had a point.

Arizona sighed and went back to her notes.

####

Callie leant back against the far wall in the elevator. She was exhausted, and it had been a long day. She was pretty sure Arizona had been avoiding her too, because they could barely go a few hours without running into each other before and now it had been an entire day.

She missed her.

Callie was going to go home, call Arizona and get her to come over. They needed to talk. And she was getting tired of repeating those words in her head all day.

Callie couldn't stand in the way of Arizona going to Africa. So what did they mean for them? It was two years. They couldn't put their lives on hold for each other for two years while they were in separate countries. Callie started to feel sick as reality sunk in more and more about what that would mean.

How should they handle the next three-Callie reminded her self that it was evening now-almost two and a half days.

She was lost in her head and barely noticed when the elevator dinged open. She noticed when Arizona stepped in, however.

The doors shut behind her and they stood for a second, smiling softly at each other.

"Hey." Arizona stepped forward, standing so close to Callie she could feel the heat radiating off of the other woman.

Callie lifted a hand up to rest on Arizona's arm, pulling her forward that bit further so she leant against her. Arizona buried her face in Callie's neck and sighed as she felt Callie's arms wrap around her.

"Hey." Callie whispered.

Arizona nuzzled Callie's neck for a minute before pulling back to look her in the eye, "Have you been avoiding me?"

Callie looked sheepish, "Ah-"

"Cause I've been avoiding you."

They both half smiled and Arizona leant her forehead against Callie's.

"We need to talk."

Callie nodded softly, "Yeah, we do."

Arizona pulled back again, "We need to talk, with our clothes on."

Callie managed a laugh. "We could go clothes off and then talk after?" She even wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Arizona smirked, "We'd just end up repeating last night."

Callie looked up at the doors as they dinged again, stepping forward and pulling Arizona by the hand out of the elevator.

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"Except that, we need to talk."

Callie stopped walking, "I know." She leant forward and kissed the blonde quickly, "Okay, adult conversation, clothes on. We can cook that dinner we meant to last night."

They walked hand in hand across the street and into Callie's apartment. They were lucky, in a sense, that Christina was camped out at the hospital these days.

Throwing their jackets on the back of the couch, they stood across from each other.

Callie shifted from one foot to the other, pushing her sleeves up.

Arizona couldn't help but smile softly at the familiar gesture.

"Right. Talking."

Arizona nodded.

They caught each others eye, then looked away.

There was no thunder to break the slowly forming silence this time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes.  
**Note: **Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm glad you're all enjoying it. I struggled with this Chapter. Reviews make for a happy writer! And a less uncertain one as, seriously, I struggled.

**Chapter Four  
Awkward**

Callie cleared her throat.

Arizona played with her finger nails.

Callie pulled at a loose thread on her jeans.

Arizona started to bite at her nail.

"Okay, so apparently sex is easier to us than talking."

Arizona laughed, almost nervously, "Apparently. Which is strange, because that part took us a little while. We seemed to manage just fine before."

Callie nodded, pursing her lips seriously, "Maybe sex ruined us."

"Well, it certainly did last night," Arizona looked at her coyly, "I could barely walk this morning."

Callie laughed loudly, unable to stop her delighted grin.

"You have the cutest smug face."

Callie rolled her eyes, "This isn't helping me want to keep my clothes on. Or yours, for that matter." She looked towards the kitchen, "Dinner?"

Arizona nodded, walking around to the refrigerator, "Right. Doing things with our hands that aren't each other." She opened the door, half disappearing inside it as she pulled out groceries, "Maybe we'll talk about the elephant naturally."

"Stop saying adorable things and I'll stop wanting to pull your clothes off."

Arizona smirked, "I'm naturally adorable, but I'll try. Here," she thrust an armful of vegetables at Callie, "get chopping."

"Weren't you supposed to be cooking _me_ a meal last night? Showing off your magic in the kitchen?"

Arizona handed her a knife and chopping board, "The joy of being the cook is you can palm off the boring bits like chopping and grating while you look important heating oil and sorting out pans."

Callie gave an exaggerated sigh and started peeling carrots.

By the time they sat down to steaming bowls of satay chicken and vegetables, they had talked about everything.

They'd talked about Karev bullying Izzy into going into surgery in two days. Arizona had been unsure why Shepherd had wanted to delay when he had made such a fight for cutting. That is until Callie said she'd over heard him say to Sloan that there _was_ a risk of memory damage, and this at least gave her a full twenty four hours with Karev.

They'd talked about George, and how Callie hadn't seen him all afternoon at the hospital and couldn't figure out where he had gone. They discussed how Callie had had to prise the hammer out of his hand in the cast room days before, and how she could see how much he was shaking when she finally had managed to.

They touched on Mark and Little Grey, Arizona pondering if they were doomed and Callie voicing that maybe someone her age was just what Mark needed. Arizona conceded she had a point.

They talked about everything, really.

Except the one thing they'd thought all day they needed to discuss.

The conversation slowed down as they were putting their forks down. Sighing, Callie looked across at Arizona from the table.

"Elephant time."

"Yeah."

They both gave a nervous laugh as the silence threatened to start up again.

Callie decided to just barrel through it.

"So, you leave in two and a half days. You fly at ten am, I heard today?"

Arizona nodded.

"And you have to pack, put your stuff in storage, finish up at work and say goodbye to everyone in that time."

Arizona nodded again.

"Okay. Really; your dream _couldn't _be tiny surgical instruments?"

Arizona smiled, "Like I said, I don't think it would've caught the eye of the Carter Madison guys."

"Trust you to have to go big."

"It's how I am." Silent beat for a minute, "Tomorrow I'm in the hospital for the morning to finalize some cases and finish up in the OR around 1pm. Then I-I guess I have to start packing."

"Right. Packing."

Callie swallowed hard. This conversation was harder than she thought.

"And then you fly out. For two years."

Arizona nodded, "For two years, I'll be in Africa."

Callie stood up, clearing their plates and moving them to the kitchen. Arizona watched her helplessly from the table.

Dumping the plates in the sink, Callie said into the pile of dishes, "So you're leaving."

Arizona felt like she was speaking over gravel in her throat, "I have to."

Callie nodded, almost to herself as she ran water into the sink, "You do have to."

Callie was torn. She wanted to to say all the things she felt starting to build under her skin the last few weeks with Arizona, but they were still so new it felt hurried. It was too soon: admitting she was smitten was one thing, the rest was too much. She didn't want to beg her to stay, she didn't want to be what stopped Arizona from living her dream. She couldn't be what ruined Africa for her. So she couldn't say what was bubbling inside her.

They'd been together just over four weeks. And Arizona was leaving for two years.

Arizona couldn't watch Callie do this. Standing up, she came around to stand behind her at the sink, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face into the back of her neck. Callie just stood still, her hands in the water. She let herself sink back into Arizona.

She whispered into Callie's skin, "For this, I almost don't want to."

Callie turned around in Arizona's arms, bringing her wet hands around and clinging to her.

Both girls had their faces pressed into each others necks, unable to look the other in the eye.

"You have to go. I can't-I can't ask you to stay."

"I know."

Arizona pulled back and leant her forehead against Callie's, "This is something I've wanted for so long." She swallowed the words 'and it turns out, you're something I've wanted for so long, too'. She couldn't make this harder by saying such things, not when she was leaving. "I worked so hard for it. And I am so excited. But this is _.hard, _Callie."

Callie drew in a shuddering breath, bringing her hands up to Arizona's cheeks. Her voice was incredibly soft, "I'm so proud of you. And I want to be the girl who begs you to stay. I could so easily be that girl." Callie dropped a kiss on her lips, "But you'd wake up in ten years, and a part of you would hate me for the fact that you never went. You'd regret it forever."

Arizona leant forward and kissed her. Her lips pressed gently, then harder. Callie parted her lips and lost herself in the kiss, her nails digging slightly into Arizona's neck. She felt like they could stay there, kissing in the kitchen against the sink for hours. Longer.

Arizona pulled back, forcing herself to end it.

"It's something I just have to do."

Callie nodded, her eyes bright, "How do we do this? The next few days?"

Arizona pressed her lips together, struggling to say what was about to come out of her mouth, "If I stay here, with you, I wont get anything done. Not just because all I want to do all the time is have you naked, but because I'll be counting time with you."

"So what do we do?"

Arizona pressed her forehead back to Callie's, needing more contact. She wrapped her arms tighter around her waist.

"Well, I'm going to get my jacket." She said it gently, And I'm going to go."

Callie didn't know how she was restraining her breathing.

"Will I see you before you fly?"

Arizona shook her head where it was, their breath mingling between them, "I don't know if I'll go if you do. I think if I see you again and again, we're going to struggle even more."

"We'd end up in the airport, half naked and still clinging to each other while I pushed you through the gate."

Arizona almost laughed, the smile just playing around both their lips at how true that would be.

"Exactly."

They stood for a minute, as much contact between them as possible.

"Arizona..." Callie breathed her name out, her voice tight, "Have we just broken up?"

Arizona kissed her, pressing her lips against Callie's almost desperately.

"I think we did."

She stepped back, letting her hands fall from Callie's waist. Callie brought her hands away from Arizona's neck, crossing her arms across her chest. They stared at each other.

"I am so sorry, Calliope."

Callie nodded, casting her eyes to the floor.

Arizona walked around to the couch, getting her jacket and bag. Pulling the jacket on and the bag over her shoulder she walked to the door. Hand on the door knob, she turned back to look at Callie. She had followed her from the kitchen, and was now standing in the lounge, a mere few meters from her.

Arizona went to step forward, wanted to go to her. Callie looked so uncertain. But Arizona knew that if she did she'd kiss her. She'd fall into her, into this sadness and they'd repeat the night before. They'd spend the day together the next day, probably sleep at Arizona's the next night and night after, and all the lines would be blurred when she got on the plane. They couldn't have the lines blurred when she was leaving to be in another country for two years. It wouldn't be fair.

So instead she stepped back, turning the handle and stepping through the door.

"Goodbye."


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: ** Wow, this chapter ended up longer than I thought it would. Hmm, lots of idea's on what should happen and what could happen. Loving the reviews guys, definitely keeps me wanting to write more :). Oh, and I'm taking complete liberty with the time line of season five's events. 'Cause I can. Pretty much doing my own thing post 05.22 with all the story lines. It's kind of fun.

**Chapter Five  
Cheating**

Callie knew there were big things going on in the world at the moment. Actually, not even the world. Thanks to a certain Carter Madison grant she was _very_ aware that other countries had big issues. However, there were huge things going on in that very hospital.

She was aware that there were bigger things than her not-yet-girlfriend, now not-anything-as-they-ended-it-girl, moving continent. Izzy had stage four cancer. Cancer that was metastatic and growing back faster than they could cut it out. She was going to surgery this evening to remove a part of her _brain_. Karev was having to watch Izzy struggle her way through it. George obviously had _something_ going on. He had appeared back in the hospital that morning after his absence the afternoon before and she had seen him hugging Hunt. People at that moment were dying on various floors of the building. There were big things happening.

She knew all this.

But when she had woken up that morning, rolling over instinctively to reach for Arizona, reality crashing down around her eyes before her hand even hit the cold spot, it had felt like she had some big problems.

Work was crawling by.

After dragging herself out of bed that morning and into the shower, she'd sought out Mark to vent to. She had, thankfully, caught him while Lexie was in the shower. She was certain he had been on his way to join Lexie when she'd barged in, but the look on her face must have made him inclined to settle her down with a coffee.

"You look like shit. Again."

"Again, thanks Mark."

"You look like you've been crying all night."

Callie glared at him over her coffee cup.

"So, talk didn't go well then?"

Callie took a sip of her too hot coffee. She didn't want to say it out loud; that would make it more real.

"Come on, Tores. What happened?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Mark raised his eyebrows at her skeptically. "You don't know or you don't wanna talk about it?"

He knew her too well.

Callie sighed and put the mug down in front of her.

"We broke up."

Mark quickly closed his mouth, it having dropped open from the shock of those words.

He had expected, best case scenario, Robbins to be staying and Callie to finally get her happy ending. Worst, after the first attempt at talking in any case, he expected to just hear that she was moving to Africa anyway but that was as far as the talk had gotten them. He figured the rest would occur the night before. Or in email.

"Oh."

Callie nodded and picked her coffee back up. She hugged it to her chest.

"Yeah."

"How?"

Callie blew her fringe out of her eyes, her tone exasperated, "I don't know, Mark! We just did."

"Okay. But how?"

Callie glared at him again, "She has go to Africa. I can't make her stay. Therefore, it's ended."

Mark was silent.

"What?"

"I just figured there'd be more drama about the whole thing. More angst." He ignored the glare as it deepened, "You know," he raised his voice to an uncharacterisitically high tone, "...'Oh, no, she's leaving for years, we're going to have loud sex everywhere we can up until the last possible moment then talk logistics and she'll leave and neither of us will know where we stand but we wont be together but we'll pine constantly'...or something like that."

"I don't sound like that." Callie looked genuinely affronted.

"Sometimes you do."

Callie rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee.

"I think...I think we just needed it to be clear cut. Arizona likes to know whats happening. So, she's leaving. For two years. Long distance for two years? From the foundation of a four week long relationship? Not feasible."

Mark nodded, carefully putting forward the next question, "Why don't you go to Africa?"

Callie's eyebrows shot up to her hair line, "Africa?" She tried to consider it for a moment. "I like my job, and my friends. I have career plans. I'm not ready to leave that. And we've been together four weeks-I think that would make a lesbian record in the U-haul department." She made a face, "And Africa has many, many bugs."

Mark contemplated all this for a minute.

"Long distance really not possible?"

"The plan Arizona put forward to win the grant doesn't include a lot of trips home-she's there to set up a whole new clinic and to train staff, to start health initiative programs. And I'm a resident. With resident's hours."

"So clean break?"

"So clean in fact, she left last night and I'm not seeing her before she goes." Callie leant forward, elbows on her knees and head in her hand, "Oh, God. I'm not seeing her again."

Mark moved quickly, sliding across the couch and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on her head. He gave her a consoling squeeze.

"I'm proud of ya."

Callie sniffled into his shirt, "Huh? Why?"

Mark ran his hand soothingly up and down her arm, "You're making a clean break. Talking to her about it. Making tough decisions. It's all very adult." Mark paused a second, "And for not going to Africa, because that would suck for me."

Callie smirked into his shirt this time, "Yeah, you'll have no one to check women out with you."

Mark laughed, "Or to slap me upside the head and remind me just how in to Lexie I am."

Callie sighed, and they settled into quiet for a moment.

"I'm really not that high pitched, Mark."

"Sure, kid."

Callie had walked with Mark and Lexie to the hospital and thrown herself into work, attempting to make the day go faster. Except, she kept staring at the clock, wondering where Arizona was in the building at that time and counting down to one o'clock, when she had her final surgery.

It was only ten thirty and it felt like she'd been there forever.

"Callie? You okay?" Callie looked up, seeing George in front of her at the desk. "You've looked at your watch four times in thirty seconds."

Callie smiled, "I'm fine."

"Okay. If you have some time later, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Maybe you could tell me whatever's on your mind then, too?"

Callie looked at him suspiciously, "Alright George, what'd going on with you?"

George looked suddenly nervous, "Nothing, not really. It's a good thing-at least, I think it's a good thing. A really good thing."

Callie's eyes narrowed, "You've done something."

To be honest, she was just really glad to have some thing else on her mind.

George sighed, giving in, "I've joined the army. I report for duty at 1800 tomorrow."

Callie's mouth dropped open. She stared at him.

"Yup, that's how I figured you'd react."

Callie continued to look at him. Her eyebrows shifting up to her hair line.

"To be a trauma surgeon, in case you were interested in that part."

Callie blinked, "You joined the army!? People die there, George!"

"I know, I know, and I'm double O seven. But I...I need to do this, Callie."

My God, was she sick of hearing that.

"George..."

Callie didn't know what to say.

Georges beeper went off. He shot his eyes down to see what it was, "That's incoming. Talk later, yeah?" He started to walk backwards, one hand still on his pager, "Try and be happy for me, Callie!"

Callie could only stare after him, her mouth still hanging open.

It was not a good day.

####

Arizona stood at the sink, hands lathered up as she scrubbed in for her final surgery, for who knew how long, at Seattle Grace.

Breathing out slowly from her mouth, she scrubbed harder with the brush at her nails.

She felt like all she'd been doing since she walked out Callie's door last night was breathing. If she focussed on that, she wouldn't have to focus on the dull ache in her chest.

Lexie Grey was next to her, equally lathered hands under the tap.

"So, Africa?"

Arizona glanced at her sideways, grinning, "Africa!"

"You must be excited. Has it even had time to sink in yet?"

Arizona half shrugged, staring straight ahead, not really looking as the team inside settled her patient, "To be honest? No. But I know it's what I want."

"It must be nice."

"What must be?"

"Knowing what you want."

Arizona wanted Callie, naked and screaming her name.

But she also wanted Africa.

"Yeah. It's nice."

Arizona washed the last of the soap off, holding her arms up, she looked at Lexie.

"Ready to put this little guys outsides back into his insides?"

"Ready. Its a pleasure to be scrubbing in on your last one here."

Arizona smiled, "Lets do it."

####

Callie was staring at the surgical board.

"OR three."

The voice came from right behind her ear, making her jump a foot in the air. She swung around and hit Mark in the chest.

"Creepy much, Sloan?"

Mark smirked, "Me? How about you, stalking your non girlfriends name on the board so you know where she is at all times."

"I wasn't, I was checking the time of my next surgery."

"You're not in surgery this afternoon, Saturday afternoon is specialised Ortho Clinic hours."

"I..." Callie turned back to the board, "Shut up, Mark."

"She's in OR three." Mark started to walk away, leaning backwards slightly so he could keep talking to Callie, "And not seeing each other means not stalking her into theatre. It's cheating."

Callie called after his retreating form, "You don't know me!"

Callie stared at the board for a second longer. Then, turning on her heel, she walked through to the theatre wing and up into the gallery. Sighing with relief that it was empty, she sat down in the front row.

She understood Arizona's meaning. That if they were not going to be together, since she was leaving in a day and a bit for another continent, that they couldn't play girlfriends until she left. They couldn't blur those lines. It wouldn't be fair on either of them and would make everything that much harder to accept when she actually left. She more than understood it, she agreed with it. It didn't mean she liked it.

But Callie had struggled yesterday avoiding Arizona. She had struggled with six hours of not seeing her. And now? It had been a lot longer then six hours, and she was definitely struggling.

And Arizona was leaving the damn country, so if Callie wanted to watch the end of her last surgery in this hospital for god knows how long, she would.

Arizona wouldn't know she was there. So it didn't count.

Callie leant back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

Arizona was letting Lexie Grey do the final stages of an inguinal hernia repair.

There was blood on her gloves, her hands poised over the incision site, not touching anything as she watched Lexie work. She was nodding, encouraging Little Grey on.

Arizona was an amazing surgeon.

Callie settled back, content just to be watching Arizona. George was leaving for the Army. Izzy was due in surgery in four hours. On her brain. Karev was looking ready to tear down a building. Her non girlfriend was moving to Africa.

The hospital world was falling to the ground around her.

But here? Here she could watch Arizona. See her for what she could only assume would be the last time before she left.

Why had she agreed that they shouldn't see each other before Arizona left?

She felt an ache building in her chest. God she was going to miss those hands. And those arms. Arizona had a surprising strength to her arms. She'd felt it just the other night when she'd pinned her to the bed. She watched Arizona flick her eyes around the room, taking stock of the team before returning her eyes to the patient. She was really, _really _going to miss those eyes.

Arizona was leaving in fourty five hours and my God, Callie was going to miss her.

The ache got worse.

Oh, this was why she'd agreed.

This was definitely not helping

####

"Good work, Little Grey."

Lexie's face split into a relieved grin, "Thank you. I really appreciated that experience."

Arizona smiled at her as she went to walk out.

"Doctor Robbins?"

Arizona turned back around. She found herself getting a hug from Lexie Grey.

"Good luck in Africa." Lexie let her go, stepping back, "Mark will help look after her."

Arizona smiled at her quickly, gave her arm a squeeze and fled.

####

"Tores, I've been looking for you all day!"

Callie whipped her head around at the Ortho Clinic doors, wincing as her neck twinged at the speed. Bailey was storming passed her, her face set.

"We're having an intervention for O'Mally. Now. He's just getting out of surgery with the chief. Come on!"

Callie didn't even think about it. Jumping out of her seat, she followed Bailey to the OR doors. Karev, Izzy in her wheelchair, Christina, Grey and Little Grey were all hovering there.

"Izzie's due in the OR, Bailey. So what if O'Mally wants to get blown up, we have bigger things to think about."

Karev was looking ready to bolt.

"You." Bailey pointed at Karev, "stay. Izzy, are you happy to be here?"

"Got my sad, cancery, been fasting-for-theatre-for-what-feels-like-forever eyes sat the ready." Izzy looked up over her shoulder at Alex, "Theatre can wait. Derek can't start without me."

Merideth smiled over at Izzy, "He knows you're here."

Bailey clapped her hands together, "Right, here he comes."

They all looked to the OR wings doors, loitering in a loose group around the OR board. They watched the Chief and George's faces through the glass as they came up the hallway. The Chief said something to George and clapped him on the shoulder. George was nodding.

They walked through the doors and stopped short at the site in front of them.

"George." Bailey had her lecture voice on, "You are not leaving this country to fight in a war you have no business being involved in."

"Don't make me sit on you to make you stay, O'Mally." Karev was leaning against the OR board, his arms tight across his chest.

George was looking around at them all, his face stoic. Callie had noticed a contemplative quietness to George lately, and it was coming through strong as his friends stood around him, their faces stern.

"George," Izzy looked up at him, her eyes doe like. Callie felt a hint of her usual irritation at anything Izzy said threaten to flare up; it was not the time. "You can't leave. You can't just up and leave and go to a war zone."

Webber was standing, his arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows raised at the scene before him.

Callie kept her voice low, "George. This is stupid. Stay."

George was nodding slowly, "I appreciate what you are all saying." He cleared his throat slightly, looking from one to the other, "But the decisions made. I signed up to be a doctor to make a difference. And lately I've been feeling like I've been missing something. Everything just kind of...clicked, when I was helping that soldier with the bad leg. Trauma fits me, and this feels like it does, too."

Karev rolled his eyes, "Don't be a dumb ass, O'Mally."

"Karev! Not helping," Bailey glared at him, "Though I agree with the sentiment."

Lexie looked distraught, "George! You'll get yourself killed."

"Or blown up." Merideth had her own doe like look on her face.

"You don't wanna be the guy who shoots himself cleaning his own gun." Christina was trying, in her own way.

Callie let her concern wash over her, "It's a war over there. Constant war. People die. War's not for you, George."

George straightened his shoulders, his look hardening, "And this is part of the reason somethings been missing for me. You all think this is stupid? That I'm stupid? That I couldn't possibly help over there because I'm double O seven? Well, that's why I'm going. This past year, you've all missed it. I've gotten to be damn good at trauma."

And he walked passed them all, his face determined.

Christina shrugged, "Well that went well."

Webber shook his head at them all, "An intervention? Really?"

Bailey looked irritated, "Well someone needs to talk some sense into that boy! You're all wandering around clapping him on the shoulder and congratulating him. This is George, signing up to go to a war!"

"O'Mally is a damn fine surgeon, Bailey. He's determined to do this."

Callie stood and watched Bailey turn on her heel, throwing her hands up in the air and storming off, muttering to herself. Karev wheeled Izzy down the corridor to her room, Izzy looking defeated. Merideth, Christina and Lexie wandered off, talking in quiet voices.

Callie felt the chief walk up to stand next to her.

"O'Mally is going to be fine. You all missed it, but he's changed. He's capable, steady."

Callie was nodding, "I always knew that about him, Chief."

Webber rested a hand on her shoulder, "Well, the things everyone just said to him? It made it sound like everyone thought he was _in_capable."

She felt him turn and walk off.

Callie sighed.

Yup, everything was just falling down around them all.

####

Arizona walked out the front door of the hospital, looking down as she searched in her bag for her keys. She had meant to be out by three, but had gotten caught up with the final stages of paper work and now would be up until all hours packing.

Not looking where she was going, she managed to walk right into the back of a very solid person.

"Oof!"

She dropped her bag, the contents spilling out.

"I am so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

She dropped into a squat, gathering her bits and pieces and felt the person she had walked into drop down to help her.

She looked up and saw George O'Mally. Her face lit up in a grin, "O'Mally, right?"

George nodded, "Yeah. Doctor Robbins? Paeds?" Arizona nodded. "Are you okay?" He handed her the hair brush he picked up and stood.

Arizona shoved everything back into her bag, standing with him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry again, I wasn't looking where I was going."

George shook his head, "It's fine, really. I was just trying to get the motivation to walk." He looked up at the building and back to Arizona, "Final day and all."

Arizona nodded, "I know what you mean." She cocked her head to the side, looking at the man Callie had once been married to. "I hear you've signed up to the Military."

George nodded, "Reporting tomorrow."

Arizona nodded, continuing to appraise him, "Gossip travels fast here."

"It definitely does. You leave the day after tomorrow? Africa."

"Yeah. Looks like we both just had our final day here. Did you have a big final goodbye?"

George looked away, giving a small laugh, "You could say that."

Arizona looked concerned, "Not a good goodbye, then? I know I just kind of snuck out."

"They staged an intervention." George flicked his eyes up to meet Arizona's. "Pretty much told me I'm stupid and will get myself killed over there and that there's nothing to go over for."

Arizona raised her eyebrows.

"You agree with them then? The hospital gossip reach you about double O seven, too?"

Arizona shifted her bag further onto her shoulder, crossing her arms in front of her. She took in Georges look, all at once trying to appear uncaring, yet his eyes soft with hurt.

"I think you and I know more about each other than two people who have never really met should." Arizona cocked her head to one side, "Amongst it all, I've heard you're kind. Kind to patients, to families. To co-workers who may not always deserve it. I heard about the heart in the elevator; I don't think I've ever been more impressed. I don't really understand why it then took you years to realise you belonged in trauma." Georges body language was relaxing, the tension settling slightly. "I know that Owen Hunt is never happier in the ER than when you're his second." Arizona nodded, "So yes, hospital gossip has reached me."

George looked away, his cheeks red.

"As for the military," George looked back at her. Arizona took a deep breath, brazing herself to share, not usually one to do so, "My brother joined straight out of school. From what I know about you, the two of you were very similar. He was a quieter guy if you didn't know him. He worked well under pressure. And he was unbelievably kind." Arizona's head was to one side again, taking in George as she spoke, "Tim died over there because there weren't enough doctors. I stood in a hangar and watched them unload his coffin from a plane." Arizona tried to not let her voice break, "I think what you're doing is awesome, and brave. I'm grateful there are people like you, who make sure other people's brothers and sisters, and daughters and sons, return home to them breathing, instead of just a flag and a medal with no chest to pin it on."

George swallowed heavily. They held eye contact for a second. There was really nothing for him to say to the gift she had just given him.

George reached out his hand. Arizona took it, and they shook, once.

"Good luck to you, George O'Mally."

####

Callie walked out from the shower, hair still wet. She sighed heavily, loudly. Dropping her towel onto the floor, she sighed heavily again.

She looked around the room. Her clock read ten pm. She was exhausted, she was sad and she just wanted to sleep. Izzy was still in surgery, George was leaving and Arizona was flying far away.

She fell forward on her bed, landing heavily on her stomach.

She sighed deeply into her pillow.

She was allowed to sound dramatic, damn it. No one could hear her.

"Tores! Stop huffing so loudly!"

Callie rolled her eyes. Stupid Christina.

Flopping over onto her back, Callie stared at the ceiling.

She missed Arizona. It was-she did some quick maths-thirty six hours until her plane would be taxiing down the runway to take her to Africa. Callie figured at this moment, Arizona would be packing. She'd have her hair in braids, to keep it off her face. Callie loved it when her hair was in braids.

She sighed loudly again.

"Tores!"

####

Arizona looked around her. Boxes were everywhere, half of her belongings packed, the other half strewn all over the place. She looked at the clock. Eleven pm.

She poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the couch.

The movers were getting to her place at three pm the next day. They would do all the heavy lifting, pack up her furniture and put it all in storage with her boxes. Four boxes were getting shipped to Africa, and she had two big suitcases open and waiting to be filled to go with her. She'd be packing for the entirety of the next day. Some of her friends were dropping in to help her and say goodbye.

She was going to spend the next night in a hotel and then be at the airport by eight the following morning.

And then Africa.

Arizona pulled her legs up under her on the couch and had a large sip of wine.

She could so easily go over to Callies.

She wasn't going to achieve anything more that evening. She could easily slip out, go to Callies and...

And what? Sleep with her? Have mind blowing, life altering sex, then send Callie off to work the next day and come home herself to continue packing. To smell Callie on her skin the entire day. To look in her eyes and see all the things they couldn't say to each other because she, Arizona, was leaving the country.

To make it fifty times harder to get on that plane. To make it harder when she did finally get on that plane, because they didn't know where they stood.

It would blur the lines so badly. It would be easier, in the long run, this clean break.

They'd broken up. She couldn't do that to both of them, make it that much harder.

But she could so easily go to Callie's right now.

Arizona tipped back the glass of wine, putting it down on the coffee table loudly. Standing, she walked to the door.

She flipped the light switch next to the frame and made her way to her bedroom in the dark.

#


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T for now  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Loving the reviews guys, thank you all so much :). I am a review slut (I rated this T so I can say that, right?) so again, thank you! Love hearing the different ideas on whats going to happen. I wish this site had the ability to comment on reviews.

I also love angst and torturing readers, so...

** Chapter Six  
Distraction**

Callie stood at the coffee cart, her pager going crazy in her pocket. She scrunched her eyebrows together, her mouth stuffed full of the bagel she had just bought as she sifted through her wallet to pay for her hurried breakfast. Paying the till operator, she pulled the bagel out of her mouth, mumbling a "thankyou" through the mouthful and picked up the coffee with the same hand as the bagel. She fished her pager out of her pocket, glancing at it to see '_911, ER'_ flashing.

Callie didn't like to be relieved someone was hurt enough they required an Orthopaedic Surgeon to be paged to the ER, but she was. Scoffing her bagel and skulling her coffee between bites, Callie started to make the trek to the ER.

She needed the distraction. At this very moment, Arizona was packing up her entire apartment and about to have all her belongings put in storage. She hadn't spoken to the blonde in over twenty four hours. Her only view of her was when she had stalked her from the gallery. She would be flying out of the country in twenty four hours.

Not only this, but Izzy had had her surgery, successfully according to Shepherd, but was yet to wake up. All the tests were good, the EEG showed brain activity, her reflexes were intact, pupils equal and reactive. Callie could go on with the positive tests, she'd come in and gone through Izzy's chart early, anxious to see the proof herself. Everything looked good, just as Christina had text her from her spot beside Izzy's bed last night.

They just wouldn't _know_ until she woke up. And that could be now, or days, or maybe never.

And Callie still felt guilty about George. She knew him, once. She knew he was a man filled with pride. And they had cornered him, put him down, even if that wasn't what they had meant to do. Callie didn't agree with what he was doing. But if she put her fear for him aside, she knew he was more the capable to do it.

Swallowing her final bite of bagel, tipping the coffee cup back, Callie burst into the ER.

"Hunt, what have we got?" She directed her voice at the red head standing at the desk. He glanced up, relief evident on his face when she entered.

"We don't know much, John Doe. ETA five minutes via ambulance. Hit by a bus, dragged further than you'd wish. He's not in good shape."

Callie raised her eyebrows, following him to the ambulance entrance bay, pulling on a trauma gown.

This? This was going to be the _perfect_ distraction. This man sounded like he'd come to her in a mess. She'd make sure he got out of it. She didn't need a blonde in her life, or to think about cancer people or dying soldiers-she'd play God. And she'd win.

####

Arizona looked around her apartment. Compared to the mess last night, it was getting there. A few more hours, and everything would be packed. She looked at the clock, seeing eleven am. She raised her eyebrows slightly. Time was just dragging by.

She had slept badly. The room didn't feel her own any more, half packed up as it was. She had ran through list after list of things she needed to do. She was glad her parents weren't coming to see her off. She loved them, but her energy levels weren't at their highest and she was emotionally drained as it was. Instead, they were flying out to see her in Africa in four weeks, when she was more settled.

Then, of course, her thoughts had turned to Callie. She was aching to see her. She was aching to touch her, to repeat the other night and just lose herself in her warmth and heat and hide from the fact that she was leaving and that that meant they were over. She'd looked at the clock, glowing three am. She considered it, for a long moment. But she just couldn't. It wouldn't be fair.

Those words were getting repetitive in her own head, but they were fact.

She felt her stomach ache. She wanted to see Callie.

Sighing, Arizona reached for the packing tape. She dropped it in shock as someone knocked on her door, surprising her.

"Shit." She'd told the girls eleven. And as usual, they were right on time.

Standing up, Arizona wiped her dusty hands on her jeans. Walking through the maze of boxes, she walked to the door, bracing herself a moment before opening it.

"Arizona!"

Four girls stood on the other side, all holding a bottle of wine.

Despite her mood, Arizona felt herself smile.

Her friends were a perfect diversion.

####

The OR was like a war zone. The irony wasn't lost on Callie, considering the things that had been on her mind.

John Doe was trying to give up on them, and none of them would let him. His body was a mess: his arm had almost been torn off, multiple fractures, bleeding-both internal and external, his spleen was shredded, he had a perforated bowel. The list was endless.

But he was still hanging in there.

Callie took in a long breath as she scrubbed out, Bailey next to her.

"That was intense."

Bailey gave a mirthless laugh, "That man is lucky to be alive."

"He's a hero."

"He took a bus for a woman. That's the thing of romance." Bailey switched the water off and dried her hands, "Except, in romance, he wouldn't be hanging on to life by the skin of his teeth."

Callie sighed, "Long day."

Bailey nodded, "And it's only just beginning for him."

"Am I a bad person for being thankful for a huge trauma today?"

Bailey appraised her for a minute, "We've all been there."

Callie nodded.

The door swung behind Bailey as Callie finished up scrubbing out.

They had finally finished up the first surgery five hours after going in. Which they had had to do almost instantly, there was nothing conservative they could have done in the trauma room for their John Doe. It was two in the afternoon, and Callie felt like she'd been at the hospital for ever.

Turning around and leaning back against the sink, Callie pulled her phone out of her scrub pocket.

Flipping it over and over in her hand for a moment, Callie made a choice. There was one thing she could make herself feel better about.

Hitting dial on one of the contacts, she raised her phone to her ear. It rang.

And rang. And rang. Until voicemail picked it up. Callie sighed, not wanting to do it this way but not sure how else to get it out of her system.

"George...hey...it's me, it's Callie. I just wanted to apologise, for yesterday. You were right, we had missed it. It wasn't fair to corner you like that. I'm not going to pretend that I think this is a good idea, but...if anyone can do it, I know you can. We had a massive trauma come in this morning; its going to be a long one. I know a lot of people wish you were her to help with it. Anyway...good luck, stay in touch. And stay safe."

Callie ended the call.

Dropping her phone back in her pocket, she turned to get her first thing to eat since the bagel and to start planning the multiple surgeries that were ahead of John Doe.

She'd lose herself in this case.

####

The apartment was empty. As in, completely empty. Arizona stood in the centre of the lounge room, no longer _her_ lounge room. She took one final look around.

Nodding once, she turned and walked out, pulling the door shut behind her.

She walked quickly down the stairs and into the cab she had waiting to take her to the hotel, bags packed inside.

She didn't look back.

####

Standing with her arms crossed, Callie stared at John Doe in his ICU bed. He was attached to every monitor they had, intubated and had a resident or intern with him at all times.

It was nine o'clock pm, and if he made it through the night, they'd be back into theatre tomorrow.

Callie was exhausted. Exhausted in the way that she loved, post a full day of intense surgeries and being on her feet, barely able to eat or drink, let alone think.

Now it was quiet. She pulled out her phone, heart leaping when she saw a new message-whether she was excited for it to be Arizona or George, she didn't know. She felt her heart sink when she saw it was Mark. The felt slightly guilty.

_Izzies been awake for a few hours, her memories re-setting. Derek's got high hopes it'll resolve. Now go home and go to sleep, unless you want to meet at Joes for a drink?_

Callie was grateful Mark was letting her know about Izzy. It was an awkward situation, but she was praying she'd make it through. At least she was awake.

Callie typed a quick reply.

_Joes in ten?_

Trying to not acknowledge the fact that it was thirteen hours until Arizona flew out, Callie headed towards the exit. Arizona hadn't contacted her. They had broken up. Seeing her would not help; she was leaving anyway. For two years. Maybe more, who knew? And the point was, they didn't know.

They were over.

A beer would go down a treat.

_####_

The bar was nice, in that typical hotel style. Her friends had all wanted to join her, but Arizona had pretended she was meeting work people.

She'd lied. She actually wanted to be alone.

Her room, however, was oppressively quiet. So at nine o'clock she'd headed to the hotel bar for a drink. She ordered a glass of the most expensive white wine on the list, figuring she may as well enjoy a good white while she could.

Taking a sip, Arizona looked at the mirror that lined the wall behind bar, managing to people watch without having to turn around and be obvious about it. She loved hotel bars. You could be anyone in them, and anyone could be in them.

The wine was amazing.

Trying not to think, Arizona let her gaze wander through the groups seated at tables behind her. She accidentally caught the eye of a glossy redhead. Giving her a polite smile, Arizona took a sip of her wine again and continued to let her gaze float across the groups.

Movement made her eyes flick back and she felt them widen as the redhead stood and started towards her.

_Oops._

The woman came up and stood beside her, leaning on an elbow on the bar and smiling at her.

"Hi."

Arizona put her wine glass down, turning slightly in her seat and wondering how she'd managed this. She'd been there ten minutes.

Smiling politely, Arizona returned the greeting.

The red head looked her up and down casually, "Alone in a hotel bar? That can usually be because you're meeting someone, or you've been stood up. Though I really couldn't believe the second option."

Arizona raised her eyebrows slightly. This one didn't hesitate. She took in the warm green eyes, the dark red hair. She was fit, her body obviously toned beneath the black cocktail dress.

Just the type she used to go for, back in her bar days.

Arizona realised it was a bit silly to make it sound like that was when she was eighteen. Back in her bar days had really only been a few months before Callie.

"Neither, actually."

"All alone then?"

Arizona smiled, "Quite happily."

The redhead looked at her almost empty wine glass, "If you want to change that, I'd love to buy you your next drink."

Arizona actually considered it, just for a second. It would be easy. It was almost second nature, she had never been a quiet one at drinks. She would go out purposefully looking for the best looking woman in the bar, she liked the challenge. It was even better if they were straight. It was rare, too, that she didn't leave without the woman she set her eyes on.

Arizona appraised her again. Cheek bones Mark would kill to recreate, and those eyes really were a fierce green. It would be so easy, to distract herself from what she really wanted to do and take the red head up stairs.

She was stunning, that was all there was to it.

But she wasn't Callie.

Arizona shook her head, doing her best to smile, "Thanks, but I'm enjoying my own company tonight."

The woman nodded once, obviously not one to beg, "If you change your mind, I'm right over there."

Arizona turned around on her seat back to the bar. She drained her wine glass and headed for the door.

It was probably best she went back to her room.

####

Callie put her beer down, having finished it rather quickly.

"One more?" Mark went to order another.

"No, really, thanks though Mark."

Mark looked put out.

"Tores, its been a long day. Let's drink."

Callie could see right through him. He was concerned and wanted her to say.

"I'm fine, Mark." She smiled, "See?"

Mark looked at her over his beer, not buying it for a second. "It was a long day. We're going to be in surgery again all day tomorrow. Tomorrow is crappy for other reasons we don't have to talk about. Stay."

Callie wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but she really just wanted to be at home in her pyjamas.

"Tomorrow? I'll need a drink tomorrow. I'll need ten tomorrow. Tonight though, I need sleep."

Mark nodded, "You going to go see her?"

Callie shook her head, "We broke up. It's done, she's flying out tomorrow at ten. There's no point now."

Mark looked like he wanted to say something, but chose better.

"Want me to walk you?"

Callie looked over at Lexie drinking with some of the interns in the corner, "Stay, enjoy yourself." She dropped some money on the bar, "Behave yourself, too." She winked at him.

Mark watched her walk out, his face concerned.

Callie walked to her apartment in minutes. She opened the door, unsurprised to find it empty. Christina would be at the hospital, probably with Izzy. Or John Doe.

Heaving an exhausted sigh, Callie wandered into the kitchen and poured a glass of water, downing it quickly. Wandering through to her room, she considered a shower, event though she'd had one before changing at the hospital.

She almost missed the knock at the door.

Rolling her eyes, she walked over to it.

"Mark, seriously. I'm fine," She pulled it open, "You didn't-"

Callie froze, her eyes wide.

Arizona was standing in her door way, a look of absolute uncertainty on her face.

"Were you really going to let me go without saying goodbye?"

###

**Reviews are a girl's best friend :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **M (you excited?)  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Wow. I wish I could reply to all your reviews individually. Thank you:). Hearing your thoughts keeps me motivated. Love that I've managed to torture some readers. I live for it, I won't lie. Sorry about the fake update alert for this earlier, I accidentally put the new chapter of Please in here and had to fix that pretty quickly. My bad.

This was going to be two chapters...then I liked the effect of it being one. So yay big update?

Don't hate me. Please?

**Chapter Seven  
Buried**

"Were you really going to let me go without saying goodbye?"

Callie stood, for a split second, not knowing what to do.

Then she reacted.

She reached forward and pulled Arizona through the door, pushing it shut by shoving Arizona up against it. She held her there for a second, pinned against the wood, looking her in the eye. Arizona looked apprehensive, her blue eyes looking searchingly into Callies brown ones.

"You told me not to."

"I know."

Callie couldn't stop it now. The second she'd seen Arizona standing so uncertainly in the doorway, it was sealed. She leant forward, crushing her lips against her's. She felt Arizona bring her hands up to tangle in her hair, pulling her harder against her. Her lips and tongue moved against her own, a desperate kiss. Callie pushed her hard against the wood, her thigh slipping between Arizona's.

She ran her hand down Arizona's side, settling them against her waist, her finger tips biting into the womans skin.

God, it had been two days and she had missed the feel of her.

She felt Arizona pushing her gently backwards. They moved slowly, never breaking contact. They took slow steps, moving towards the bedroom as they moved against each other. They lost themselves in the feel of each others lips, hands clinging wherever they landed.

They spoke, barely breaking apart.

"You told me not to say goodbye."

"I know."

Arizona pushed her lips back against Callies, moving them languidly over hers. Her tongue traced her lips.

"You still have to go." It hurt for Callie to say that; she pressed her lips to Arizona's jaw, her cheek, back to her lips. They had made it past the couch.

"I know." Arizona's voice was tight, low.

She pulled Callie back to her, nipping at her bottom lip.

Callie pushed Arizona's jacket off her shoulders; it fell to the ground with a soft noise. She ran her hands slowly up Arizona's shoulders, up her neck, burying her fingers in the soft blonde curls. She loved it when Arizona's hair was out and curled, soft around her face.

They were past the kitchen bar top, almost to the hallway. Arizona's tongue rolled against her own, a soft groan reached her ears. Arizona had one hand wrapped around the back of her neck, the other was skimming the skin of her back under her shirt. Goosebumps trailed after her fingers.

"This is our last night?" Callie murmured it against her lips, as she felt her back thud softly into the door frame of the hallway, Arizona pressed against her, her lips trailing down Callie's neck.

Her breath washed against the soft skin, "I know."

Callie couldn't bare her being away from her, she pulled her back up to her lips, feeling the doorframe bite into the skin of her back as Arizona pressed harder against her, needing more contact.

Arizona spoke first this time, "This doesn't change anything." Her voice was gravelly, tight with emotion. Her lips hovered over Callie's, her eyes looking intently in her own.

They both knew where they stood, yet after the hell they'd gone through the last two days trying to make that knowledge easier, trying to make sure the line wasn't blurred when Arizona left, they needed to make sure the other understood what this meant.

Callie nodded softly, pulling Arizona back against her lips, "Arizona," They were so close, her lips grazed Arizona's as she spoke, she caught her eye, "I know."

Arizona swallowed, leaning forward and closing the barely existant gap. She dug her hands into the material of Callie's shirt, pulling her forward and into her.

She walked her backwards, blindly making it through the hallway to Callie's room, Callie with her arms round around her neck and her fingers buried in Callie's shirt. They stood in the doorway a minute, Arizona dragging Callies shirt up and over her head. Callie pulled Arizona's off at the same time, both of them sighing as the pressed against each other, skin flush against each other.

Callie raised a hand to rest against Arizona's cheek as they kissed, the other undid her bra, pulling the material away. She ran her hand up her stomach, over her breast to cup the other side of Arizona's face.

Arizona pulled her towards her, stepping backwards until she started to fall onto the bed, dragging Callie with her. They fell onto it, Callie landing on top of the blonde. Dragging her lips from Arizona's, she straddled her, sitting up to look down at Arizona. Her hair was spread around her face, her lips bruised red and cheeks flushed. Her eyes were bright as they looked into Callie's questioningly.

"You okay?"

Callie nodded, smiling, "Right now? Yeah."

She trailed her finger tips from Arizona's waistband, achingly slowly over her stomach. She dragged them softly up and around Arizona's nipple, watching it harden at the soft touch. She leant forward, trailing the hand to the other nipple, drawing circles around it while she leant forward, blowing gently on the first. Arizona's breath hitched, her hands coming up into Callies hair.

Callie circled it with her tongue, pulling it into her mouth, grazing it with her tongue and teeth. She bit gently as she heard Arizona hiss at the contact. She felt hands pulling her bra off, felt Arizona's nails in the skin of her back, on her stomach. Felt a palm grind against her breast. She kissed her way across her chest, teasing her other nipple with her mouth, rolling the other between her fingers.

She felt Arizona insistently pull her up and back against her lips. Callie shifted so she was laying over her, her thigh pressed between Arizona's legs. She rocked her hips, feeling Arizona rolling hers up to meet her. She arched her back as Arizona dragged her nails down her skin, digging her fingertips into Arizona's neck to pull her mouth harder against her.

Callie reached a hand down, unbuttoning Arizona's pants and trying to yank them down one handed, not wanting to move her lips from Arizona's. The blonde shifted, pulling them down herself, breaking the kiss hurriedly. Callie used the chance to pull her own off, kicking them onto the floor before rolling back onto Arizona, their skin pressed flush against each other. She lifted her thigh up between Arizona's legs once more, her tongue moving against Arizona's in time to the rhythm she built with her leg. Arizona was so warm, so wet on her skin. She felt Arizona move slightly, her own thigh slipping between Callie's. She groaned into the kiss at the contact.

They built a desperate rhythm, their hips grinding down, thighs pressed against warm flesh. Their kissing never slowed, their hands gripping whatever skin they found, nails digging in, scratches left, bruises marking. They were both panting; Callie let out a groan, pulling her mouth away from Arizona's and pressing her lips to her neck, sucking hard. Arizona put a hand to her hair, grabbing a fistful in encouragement.

Callie grabbed at Arizona's hand, pulling first one and then the other up and pinning them with one hand over her head on the pillow. She ground her thigh faster against Arizona, felt the blonde rocking her hips harder, felt Arizona's own thigh speed under her. Their breasts pressed together, both were covered in a light sheen of sweat. She lifted her head, looking Arizona in the eye just as Arizona came, her head tilting back and a groan leaving her lips, arms tense where they were pinned and eyes shut. The sight of it sent Callie following, Arizona's name on her lips as her head dropped into her neck, her whole body tensed.

They were breathing heavily, almost ragged. Neither moved for minutes, laying pressed together. Slowly, Callie nuzzled her head further against Arizona's neck. She pulled her hand away, releasing her wrists from over her head. Arizona left them there a minute, no energy to move. Callie brought the hand down to rest on Arizona's sternum, feeling her heartbeat slowing under her palm.

Arizona finally moved her arms down, wrapping them around Callie and pulling her in tighter to her body. She shut her eyes, relishing in the warmth and smell of the woman pressed against her.

She felt Callie raise her head and looked up, seeing Callie's eyes shining with unshed tears.

Arizona shook her head, even though she knew hers were doing the same, "Don't." She croaked, putting her hands back up to Callies hair, pulling her down and crushing her lips against hers in an almost painful kiss.

"Don't." She murmured again.

Callie nodded, kissing her back desperately. "Okay." Her voice broke over the word, the lump in her throat almost impossible to speak over.

She ran her hand down Arizona's side, rested it on her hip. Their mouths moved together, the desperation not fading. Callie shifted off Arizona and onto her side, never breaking the kiss. She pushed on Arizona's hip, ensuring she didn't roll with her but instead stayed on her back. She trailed the hand down her thigh, wrapping her hand around it and pulling it up, pulling Arizona's legs apart. She ran her hand down her thigh, grazing her fingers over Arizona's centre before running it up the other thigh.

She felt Arizona whimper against her lips. Running her hand back down she slid her fingers over her clit, sliding them down into her wet opening, barely entering her.

She was so fucking wet.

Callie dragged her fingers back up, her fingers firm on Arizona's clit, swallowing the blondes moan into her kiss. Barely lingering there, she pushed her fingers back down, circling her opening, dragging her wetness back up to her clit.

Arizona moaned again. She couldn't focus on kissing Callie with what her hand was doing. Her head fell back, her fingers dug into Callies back. Her hips sought more contact, never finding any as Callie repeatedly dragged her fingers up and back down in the same pattern, ever so slowly.

She raised her free arm up over her head, wrapping her fingers around the bed head. She wanted more, needed more, and Callie just wouldn't give it.

Callie's eyes were glued to Arizona's face, dipping her finger in to her first knuckle before dragging her fingers up to her clit in a painfully slow movement. Arizona's cheeks were flushed, her eyes shut and face turned into her arm.

There had never been anything sexier.

Callie could feel the insistence of Arizona's hips, knowing she'd need to give in soon before she pushed it too far. Leaning down and pressing her lips to Arizona's nipple, sucking hard, she pushed two fingers up and completely into Arizona, curling her fingers before dragging them almost completely out and thrusting them back in again.

The noise that came from Arizona made her smirk slightly against her chest. The hand that was already digging into her back dragged down, nails undoubtedly leaving scratches in their wake. Callie sped her fingers up, curling them tightly against Arizona, her hips moving faster against Callies hand.

Callie dragged her lips from Arizona's nipple, grazing her lips down her stomach, never stilling her fingers. Arizona's hand went to her hair, pushing her head down roughly. Callie wasted no time, pressing her tongue against Arizona's clit, her free hand wrapping around Arizona's thigh to stop her hips pressing completely off the bed.

Pressing her tongue down in speed with her fingers, Callie added a third, flattening her tongue and pressing down.

Arizona came with a scream, her hands almost pulling Callie's hair out.

Callie didn't stop. She kept her fingers moving, her tongue flicking her clit. She felt Arizona tightening around her fingers repeatedly, felt her hands clenching and unclenching in her hair. Arizona's leg wrapped around her, her heel digging into her back, pushing her harder against Callie's mouth.

Callie finally stopped when Arizona went limp, the pressure on her back falling away, her hand letting go of her hair. Pressing a kiss to her thigh, Callie slowly pushed herself up and lay beside Arizona. She almost thought she was asleep, her face was so still, the hand that had gripped the bed head limp next to her face. Callie pushed a tendril of damp blonde hair off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.

Arizona's eyes opened lazily, a lazy smile on her face.

"Hey." Her voice was soft.

Callie smiled, "Hey." She laid her head next to Arizona's on the pillow, hooking her leg over Arizona's hip, "Thought I lost you there for a minute."

"I think you almost did."

Arizona rolled slightly onto her side, nose to nose with Callie. She draped her arm over Callie's hip, pulling her leg tighter around her.

They lay, letting the silence wash over them. There breath mingled between them, warm. Arizona dragged her hand lazily up and down Callie's back. Callie made a 'hmm' noise and buried her face into Arizona's neck.

"Can I go with you to the airport?"

Arizona's hand stilled for a second, then continued its movements on Callie's back. She ran it up her back, down Callie's arm to her elbow, then back up and down her back.

"Is that a good idea?"

She could _feel_ Callie raise her eyebrows against the skin of her neck.

"I think we're a bit beyond that."

Arizona ran her hand all the way down Callies arm to her fingertips, trailing it up her side on the return, then resting it at her collar-bone, before letting it settle over her sternum. Arizona nodded.

"True."

Arizona glanced up at the clock, it was midnight.

"Is staying a good idea?" Arizona didn't know what was the right thing to do about it all now they'd done this. She'd had her boundaries in her head that would make this all easier, and now she didn't know where the line was.

She traced her fingers down between their bodies, running the tips of them down Callie's stomach.

Callie flicked her tongue out against Arizona's neck, tasting salt. The taste rolled over her tongue, distinctly sexy. She ran her tongue slowly up Arizona's neck to just under her ear, barely thinking about what she was doing.

"Again, I think we're beyond that." Callie pressed her lips to where she had stopped, then ran her tongue back down Arizona's neck, "We know where we stand. Stay the night."

Arizona shut her eyes at the sensation of Callies tongue. Her fingers ran lower, tracing up the inside of the thigh hooked over her own hip, before trailing down to run softly over Callie. She let one finger slide between her slit, gathering wetness, moving up and running teasingly over Callies clit. She stayed there, running one finger up and down slowly, gliding her finger in time to Callie's tongue, still running up and down her neck.

"If I stay," She murmured, "I have to get up early. I need to be at the airport by eight. I have to get my bags from the hotel. My phone alarm is set to go off at six."

Callie was having trouble focusing on what Arizona was saying. She had discovered that if she sped up her tongues movement, Arizona sped up her hand. Her hips were rocking slowly in time with Arizona's finger, half of her wanting more contact, half of her enjoying the build up.

"Six is fine," her breath washed over Arizona's neck, making her shiver, "We can be up at six."

Arizona nodded, "Okay." She said softly.

She slipped one finger into Callie, feeling teeth replace the tongue that had been on her neck. She was going to have some very suss bruises to accompany her on the flight.

Callie whimpered as she added a second finger.

Moving her fingers tortuously slowly, Arizona bent her head down, Callie realising what she wanted and raised her head, lips meeting, opening.

Nails dug into Arizona's back.

For now, they would bury themselves in each other.

#

The alarms noise was hideously loud. Callie felt Arizona whimper against the back of her neck, felt her wrap her arm tighter around her middle, pulling her in tighter against her front.

The alarm kept going.

Callie groaned, "How is it so loud?"

Arizona whimpered again, her face burying into Callie's hair.

It just kept going.

Arizona sighed heavily. Pulling back, she slid out of the bed. Callie rolled onto her back, her eyes fuzzy. She sat up, not bothering to pull the sheet with her. Arizona was sitting on the side of the bed, her back to Callie as she stretched.

Callies eyebrows rose up. Her back had some very dark scratches all over it.

The alarm got louder.

Arizona rolled her shoulders, "God, I'm coming."

Standing up, she walked naked into the lounge, coming back with her jacket and fishing the phone out of the pocket. The noise finally stopped.

Callie raised her eyebrows at her, "You'll need to wear a scarf."

Arizona raised her hand to her neck, smiling coyly.

Her hand fell slowly as they took a moment, eyes locked. Arizona standing, holding her jacket, Callie sitting in the bed. Both exhausted, both unsure.

Arizona smiled softly, "You look like you've had sex all night."

"It wasn't all night. We fell asleep around four." Callie looked Arizona up and down, "You're one to talk, by the way."

Arizona flushed slightly. Walking over to the bed, she sat on the edge, looking up at Callie from under her lashes.

"I need to start moving."

Callie nodded.

They got ready quickly, Arizona showering while Callie made coffee, then Callie showering while Arizona threw a quick breakfast together. They ate fast, drinking their coffee quickly. Arizona grabbed her jacket, pulling it on.

They walked to the door,opening it and pausing in the door way.

They hovered in the entrance a minute, eye's glancing at each other than flitting away. Arizona opened her mouth to say something when the sound of the door across the hallway opened. They both whipped their heads around, seeing Mark standing in his own door way, eye brows raised.

He took the image of the two of them in, hovering almost guiltily in the hall. They both looked exhausted, satiated. Arizona had a very clear bruise-no, scratch that, bite mark- on her neck, Callie's lips were red.

Eyebrows still raised, he looked from one to the other once more than backed back into his apartment, shutting the door behind him without a word.

The girls raised their eyebrows at each other, unable to keep the smirks from crossing their lips.

Turning together, they headed downstairs and onto the street. Standing side by side they waited for a taxi to come along to hail. Their shoulders brushing, the both looked down the street. One finally turned the corner, and Callie felt her stomach drop.

They stood, waiting for it to pull up. Arizona slipped her hand into Callies, squeezing it. Callie glanced sideways at her. Her face was set as she stared at the taxi, watching it pull up next to them.

They dropped their hands, getting into the back of the taxi, Arizona giving her hotel address. They sat silently as they cruised through the streets; it was too early yet for the roads to be busy and they reached the hotel fairly quickly. Arizona asked the cab to wait, looking across at Callie.

"Wait here?"

Callie nodded.

Arizona climbed out and was gone. Five minutes later, she was back, a porter with two giant suitcases with her, Arizona carrying a smaller bag for the plane. It was seconds later they were on their way to the airport.

Both women sat staring straight ahead.

Callies stomach was twisting in knots.

Arizona had been right. This was all so much harder.

She glanced sideways at Arizona; again, she was staring straight ahead, her jaw set and face unreadable.

Before she knew it, they were pulling up to the drop off section of the terminal. Arizona paid for the cab, and Callie and Arizona both took a bag each, wheeling them through to the check in counter. They waited in line, Arizona dropping off her bags and collecting her boarding pass.

Callie's heart beat was pounding in her ears.

Arizona wheeled the smaller bag behind her, her jacket hanging over her arm. They walked side by side to the departures gate, going as far as they could without Callie having a boarding pass. They both stopped a couple of metres from security, shoulder to shoulder again, both looking ahead.

Arizona swallowed heavily, "I shouldn't have come over last night."

Callie swung her head around, eyebrows pulled together, "Arizona?"

Arizona was staring ahead, face still unreadable.

"It was selfish, and not fair." She finally turned her head and looked at Callie, "I'm sorry."

Callie shook her head, "Don't say that. We both knew what it meant. I-you were right. This is hard. But it was always going to be hard."

Arizona nodded. She let go of her bag, draping her jacket over it. She turned so they were facing, both women standing, looking at each other, not sure how to do what came next.

Callie reached forward and gripped Arizona's shirt, tugging her forward into a hug. Arizona fell into it, their arms wrapping around each other and faces buried into each others necks. They stood that way for minutes, clinging to each other.

Arizona raised her lips to Callie's ear, "Promise me something."

Callie nodded into her neck.

"Don't wait for me. We can't wait for each other." Arizona buried her face back into Callies neck, breathing in deeply, "It's no way to spend two, maybe more, years. We can't put our lives on hold. I don't know if I'll ever be able to visit. You have the craziest work hours, second only to an interns."

Callie was nodding against her neck.

Arizona pulled back, looking Callie in the eye, resting her forehead against Callies. "You'll meet some hot, sexy scrub nurse who'll blow you away." She shut her eyes. She couldn't look at Callie's eyes, they always gave so much of herself away. She'd never met someone more expressive than Callie. She'd grown up in a stoic household, with a stoic father. "You'll meet someone, and you can't say 'no, sorry, the chick I dated for four weeks is in Africa with barely any means of communication and may be back in twenty four months.'".

Callie nodded again.

"Say it, Callie."

"I promise."

Her voice was broken.

"Arizona," Her voice was still cracking, "You have to kick that Africa's health systems ass. I want to hear you're saving babies and making huge breakthroughs. No crying over the amazing ortho surgeon you left behind. Live your dream; not many people get to."

Arizona nodded.

"Say it, Arizona."

Arizona gave a low laugh, "I promise."

Callie raised her hands to cup Arizona's cheeks. They stood, foreheads pressed against each other. They moved forward as one, pressing their lips together once, breaking apart in a way that felt like tearing.

Arizona nodded once, stepping back. She took hold of her bag, grabbed her jacket and stepped back another step. Tearing her eyes from Callies wide ones, she turned.

She turned and she walked through the gate. She let a breath out slowly, blowing it out between her lips, looking forward, not glancing back.

Callie watched her go, arms crossed in front of her chest.

She nodded to herself, turning and walking out, collapsing into the nearest taxi.

She was numb.

#

**Reviews are a girls best friend. Or is that diamonds?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Love hearing your thoughts guys, thank you so much for the reviews. I'm glad everyone's intrigued.

Oh, did I not mention this was going to be a long journey full of angst? My bad?

**Chapter Eight  
Gone**

The taxi crawled the streets, traffic now much heavier than earlier in the day. Callie dropped her head back against the seat and stared out the window.

Planes were taking off into the sky, and Callie knew that it was too early for one of them to be Arizona's, but she still forced herself to turn her head to look out the other window.

She swore she could still feel Arizona's kisses bruising her neck, her chest. There was an ache in her body that could only occur after hours of good sex. Her eyes burning, Callie squeezed them shut.

She'd never had sex so intense. The night they'd found out Arizona had won had been, well, amazing. Wordless. Long, and filled with the things they couldn't say.

But last night? Last night had been goodbye.

Callie drew in a shuddering breath.

Arizona was gone.

They'd broken up, then had incredibly amazing, intense, sad sex and now she was gone.

It did make things harder; Callie felt tortured with images and sensations from the night before. She ached with the need to be doing that again and again. It was the kind of night you wanted more of; Arizona was the kind of woman you wanted more of.

But, in a sense, it had been closure. A final farewell.

It was only eight am, and Callie already wanted to crawl into bed and drag her covers over her head.

Callie's eyes popped open. Oh, God. The whole bed was going to smell of them.

Sighing heavily, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. One message.

Vaguely hoping it was George, Callie slid her finger over the screen and opened the message.

Mark.

_Did she get on the plane?_

Callie shut her eyes tightly for a second, feeling a lump swell in her throat.

She tapped a quick reply.

_Of course. Can't talk about it. Heading in to work._

She locked her phone and dropped it back in to her pocket.

Her and Arizona had been on the way to something amazing, she could feel that. Four weeks, and she felt that. But now she was gone. Callie crossed her arms across her chest. Arizona was right: they couldn't wait for each other. They had no idea what the next few years held.

It was over.

She needed to get her hands into a body.

John Doe would be back into surgery that morning.

####

Her fingers dug into the arm rests as the plane took off. Arizona was not a nervous flyer, but her whole stomach was in knots as this plane started to raise into the air.

She turned her stony face to stare out the window.

Arizona was a person who often had to tell a lot of people a lot of bad news. She said words she wished she never had to form into sentences. She regularly delivered parents their worst nightmare. She'd had to deliver her own parents their worse nightmare, her name and number being written as her brothers Next of Kin.

Telling Callie not to wait? That had been one of the hardest things she'd ever said.

The plane leveled out and Arizona stared at the clouds as they floated slightly below the plane's belly.

It wasn't their time. Arizona had years ahead of her in another country. A country in which, at first, she was going to be very out of touch in as they set up. A country she would have minimum ability to leave if she was going to do this properly.

And damn it, she was starting to feel the fire in her belly that had her writing such a passionate proposal for the grant in the first place. She was going to do this job properly. She did not get such an amazing opportunity, for herself and for the children she could help to just throw it away. She owed it to the grant suppliers and to her kids to do this well.

Arizona pulled her head phones onto her head.

She focussed on Africa, on the tiny humans.

She tried to forget the feel of Calliope Tores under her skin, the movement of her hips as she rolled them against her. To forget the look in her eye as Arizona told her 'Don't'. To forget how her name sounded as Callie moaned it against her neck.

Arizona reached forward and turned the volume up.

####

Callie was greeted by the image of Mark Sloan leaning against the wall outside the changing room, holding a coffee out to her in greeting. Tugging her scrub shirt down, Callie flashed him a grateful smile.

"Thanks." She took a greedy sip, closing her eyes for a minute as she enjoyed the taste, "You're amazing."

"I know."

He pushed off the wall and they started walking into the depths of the hospital.

"She's gone?"

"Can't talk about it, Mark."

"I thought you weren't meant to be seeing each other?"

"Can't talk about it, Mark."

"Do you two solve everything with all nighter sex?"

"Mark!" Callie stopped dead, glaring at him, "I really just, can't, talk. About this. Right now."

Sloan eyed her for a second.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Thank you."

The resumed their walk.

"Any news on Izzy?"

"Memory still shot from what I last heard."

Callie sighed, "This place is going to hell."

Sloan raised his eyebrows, but chose to let it slide.

"And John Doe?"

"He's clung on over night. We're having a staff meeting at ten to go over the game plan, then surgery."

"Any progress on identifying him?"

"Nope, nada."

"The girl he saved still floating around?"

"Yep, not left. She slept in a chair in the waiting room."

"How are you always so up on the gossip?"

Mark flashed her a grin, "People like to talk to me."

Callie sipped her coffee and shook her head at him.

They parted ways at the end of the corridor and Callie braced herself for a long day.

####

Callie stood in front of her apartment door, staring blankly at it.

Everything was numb.

Everything.

The last twenty-eight hours had been the worst of her life. Literally.

Sliding the key into the lock, Callie stumbled into her apartment. She was shattered, the kind of exhaustion that sunk into her bones.

She dropped her keys onto the kitchen bench, moving into her bedroom. She looked around at the dishevelled sheets. She breathed in deeply; the room smelt of sex, of Arizona.

Callie felt her stomach recoil. She ran to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time to empty the contents into the porcelain bowl. She'd barely eaten, yet she still managed to heave up whatever was there up.

Shaking, she stood and leaned on the bathroom sink, raising her eyes to the bathroom mirror. Her lip was quivering, her face pale and drawn. Her eyes were red rimmed, cried out.

She swallowed heavily, feeling emotion roiling up. Her stomach felt like a tight ball, solid while everything else moved like liquid around her.

In a fit of anger, she marched to her room, yanking the sheets up and off, pulling the pillow cases down. Balling it all up, she dumped them in the corner, far away.

She stood trembling, staring at the naked bed.

"Tores?"

She blinked once, unsure of how long she had stood looking blankly in front of her.

"Callie?"

Mark.

She turned slowly, walking stiffly to the lounge room. He was standing behind the couch, where Lexie sat, her eyes staring at the coffee table blankly in front of her, hands clenched between her thighs. Mark slipped the spare key in his pocket with one hand, the other rested on Lexies shoulder, gripping her tightly.

Lexie didn't look up.

Sloan stared at Callie, his face washed with concern.

Callies arms were crossed in front of her chest.

She needed to stop trembling.

Sloan raised his arm up towards her, the other not leaving Lexies shoulder. Callie fell forward, walking and collapsing into him. The arm wrapped around her back, hand clinging to her shoulder and pulling her in hard against him.

She clung to him, forehead pressed into his chest.

Silence filled the room as the three stood and sat stock still, all connected through Sloan.

Lexies voice broke it, her voice was gravelly, low.

"George is dead."

Callie was wrong.

She wasn't out of tears.

####

**Love me a review. :). I've had this chapter and the next written for days and have been trying to stretch it out a bit...it's hard. Stretching it for me apparently means three days. Fail.  
Would love to hear what your thoughts :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Oh, did I not mention this was going to be a long journey full of angst? My bad?  
Thank you for all the reviews thus far, especially those long ones, it's great to hear everyone's thoughts.

Reviews, as ever, appreciated and loved :)

**Chapter Nine**

_Georges mother clung to her. Her fingers dug into Callies back, her only anchor after hearing that George had died. Her two sons out of reach, fishing. Her sob against her chest. Her desperate pleading that it wasn't real. Her eyes, staring into Callie's, red rimmed and bottomless._

_Taking to Izzy, her memory in tact, her face broken at the news. To give his organs or not? It wasn't even a question; they talked, they decided, they agreed. She sat bedside for an hour, both women staring into space. Somehow, their was a comfort for each of them, who would have known?_

_The funeral; the sun was hot on her face, the day beautiful. It didn't suit the proceedings. It was almost funny. Seattle never put weather on like this. She stood apart from the doctors she knew and needed; she stood with Georges Mother, her hand a vice in her own. When she finally let go, she had half moon marks from her nails dug into her skin. _

_Falling asleep in Mark's bed that night, her curled against his back as he curled against Lexies. A three person chain of numb comfort._

_Laying alone in her own bed, staring sightlessly at the roof. Her arms stretched over to the empty side, fingers clenching the material of the sheet. Aching to have the comfort of Arizona, no way to contact her. Not sure she should, even if she could._

_The hospital in uproar, something is going on with the Chief and Shepherd. Callie finally boiling over, losing it when the chief denies her an Attending spot. She knows she's a rock star and, damn it, if she can't have her love life work out and if her friends are dying around her, she needed a win in her career. She quit. Loudly, and with more fanfare than she should have. The burning fire in her belly was a relief from the never ending days of grief._

_Mark dragging her out of her apartment post a mini break down: she had no idea what she was doing with her life anymore and how she was meant to move on. Those few days were a vague memory of tissues, ice cream and pizza. She stopped ordering the pizza, because that made her cry more. Mark had erupted in, dragging her off the couch, away from the war movie she was torturing herself with (George never made it to war, yet he still died a hero. How was George, _George, _dead?). He deposited her in his own shower and told her to get her shit together. She had never heard someone say such a sentence with such a gentle tone._

_She got her shit together. With a badass outfit, maybe a new job and with Lexie Grey asking her just how gay she really was. It was an absurd question to Callie: she had never seen Mark Sloan more in love with anyone. The best example she had to explain it was referencing that Mark's perving was barely non existant any more._

_It was good question, though. Who knew anything, anymore._

####

Arizona loved it here.

She loved the staff. She loved the country. She loved the noises.

She loved that she had picked up some of the language, words she'd used on her grad trip coming back to her.

She loved the kids, the conditions she was slowly getting to treat as the clinic got up and running.

She loved that it was three weeks on and they were finally getting power set up.

She'd have the internet again, a working phone line that didn't make everything sound like she was speaking under water.

She hated that she had no idea how Callie was doing.

They had a satellite phone, for emergency calls in and out; for clinic business. She didn't want to call though, not after so long, and have a stuttering conversation over a bad connection.

It was best, probably, this lack of contact. Especially considering how they'd left. It gave them space, time to distance themselves emotionally from each other. She'd seen friends break up with girlfriends, but continue texting every day, talking on the phone or catching up for coffee continuously. They'd undoubtedly end up back in bed together (not possible for her and Callie, at least), one would profess their love while the other moved on or neither ever properly moved on.

It was messy.

So it was probably best, these three weeks, having that space. Not being able to maintain a constant contact with her. Give them both some time to process.

But did it have to be so hard?

She was haunted by their last night together. She had regular dreams about it, waking up with the taste of Callie on her tongue or the sound of her cries in her ears. She'd wake, wet and frustrated and aching with how much she missed her.

She felt the absence of Callie in her life more than she wished she did.

So she threw herself into the clinic.

But now? Right now the lines had all just been connected and she had email again. An email was acceptable, surely. To touch base, see how she was. To let her know she was getting on okay in Africa.

Arizona sat in front of the computer, bringing up her email account. Logging on, her eyebrows flew up to her hair line as an absurd amount of emails flashed up.

"Holy cow." She murmured.

Scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page, she reached the beginning of them, starting three weeks before, and flicked through, looking for the ones that would be interesting.

She paused as she saw 'Calliope Tores' flash up, the date showing two weeks previously. She quickly scrolled up, scanning the other emails. There was only one from her.

She clicked on it, impatient that it took a whole thirty seconds to load.

She read quickly, desperate for any contact from Callie.

It didn't make her feel better.

_Arizona,  
Email feels so impersonal with you. I'd call, but I don't know how to contact you; and to be honest, I wouldn't really call. I think it's a good thing I can't-I'd probably call too often. I don't know when you'll get this, I know you said it would be a few weeks until you had a real phone or internet access set up.  
I wanted to tell you something. You deserve to know, you knew him, too.  
The day you left, we found out that John Doe-remember that case? The John Doe who had stepped in front of a bus to save a woman he didn't know? We found out it was George O'Mally.  
He died that afternoon in surgery. It's been six days, and we're all still in shock. The funeral was yesterday. His mother made me decide whether or not to give his organs. I made Izzy help me decide-we told them to take everything; George would give everything. It was the one time the two of us agreed on something.  
I'm sorry to tell you through email.  
I miss you  
~Callie._

Arizona sat, her mouth open. She re-read the email through twice more.

She reached her hand over, picked up the phone.

Callie would be hurting. She would be hurting, so badly. The marriage to George fell a part, he hurt her. But Arizona knew Callie, and Callie never stopped caring about anyone. This would have hit her so hard.

She dialled a number she still knew, adding the extra numbers to put her through all the way to America.

It rang four times before she answered.

"Callie? It's me."

####

**Chapters will start to get longer after the next one. Hope you're still sticking with it! :) I love to hear what you think :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Oh, did I not mention this was going to be a long journey full of angst? My bad? Longer chapters after this one. I struggled with this chapter. Hope it reads okay.

Again, thank you for all the feedback, you guys are awesome. So glad you're all sticking with it!

**Chapter Ten  
Echoes**

Callie sat heavily at the wheeled desk chair in her office. She held the phone to her ear, her lips numb. Silence beat in her ears for a full thirty seconds.

_"Are you there?"_

"Arizona?"

_"Yeah. It's me."_

Callie leant back in her chair, swallowing heavily, "Hey."

_"Hey."_

Callie could almost hear the soft smile in the word. Looking around her empty office, Callie took a deep breath in. She felt a lump in her throat.

"You have no idea how nice it is to hear your voice." Callie rest her head against the head rest once more, closing her eyes.

_"I'm sorry."_

Callie shook her head, aware Arizona couldn't see it, "Why are you sorry?"

_"You emailed me weeks ago. I literally just got it. I-I called as soon as I read it."_

Callie nodded, "Thank you."

Silence washed over them for a minute.

_"I, uh, wasn't sure if I should call, for a minute. But I couldn't ignore what you said; and I couldn't email a reply to that. I just-" _Arizona made her self stop, _"How are you?"_

Callie actually laughed. The sound of Arizona's flooded over her at the same time.

_"I'm sorry. Again. Stupid question."_

"I'm actually...I'm okay, Arizona. That first week was...it was hard. I'm okay now, though. My friends have been amazing."

Callie could hear the breath Arizona let out slowly, _"Good. I'm glad to hear it."_

"How are you?"

_"I'm good. Sad, about what I just found out. Everything here-well, it's starting to come together. We got phone lines today-um, obviously." _There was silence for a moment, _"Maybe I shouldn't have called. I don't know."_

Callie adamantly shook her head, "No, no. I'm glad you did. It's a relief to hear from you; to know you're okay."

_"I am so, sorry about George." _Arizona's voice broke slightly, her voice laced with sincerity.

Callie swallowed heavily, "Me too. Work was so different, without him."

_"I bet it-wait, did you say was?"_

"Oh," Callie gave a nervous laugh, "Yeah. Um, I quit. Seattle Grace."

Silence.

"Yeah. I uh, Webber refused me an attending spot I deserved. I went a little crazy on him-may have even used the word 'rue'. I'm at Mercy West now."

_"Wow. Just...wow. I thought you had the Attending spot at Seattle Grace in the bag. You certainly deserved it."_

Callie smiled at the genuine tone in Arizona's voice, "Thanks. It was all politics. "

_"You seriously used the word 'rue', Calliope?"_

Callie tried to ignore the flip in her stomach at hearing Arizona use her full name.

"Yup. The word 'rue'. Yelled that I was a rock star. There was a thing."

Arizona laughed over the phone, _"Well, you are an Ortho rock star. So, Mercy West-really? How is it over there?"_

Callie looked around her office like it would give her answers, "It's-uh, it's okay. Being an Attending feels right. The people...well," She took a deep breath, "They're kinda _mean, _Arizona."

_"Worse than the scalpel hungry residents at Seattle Grace?"_

"A different kind. I miss working with them all, somehow. It's fine though. The apple pie in the cafeteria here is way better."'

_"Well, that's not hard." _

"Really not, no."

_"How is everyone else?"_

"Um, Izzy is good. She's discharged and recuperating. It probably wont be too long until she's back at work."

_"You and Izzy-you talked?"_

"Um, more sat in stoic, comfortable silence. That was enough for us, I think."

_"I'm impressed."_

Callie laughed, "Thanks, so was I, if I'm being honest." Callie pondered for a minute, "Oh, Mark and Lexie have moved in together."

_"Really?" _Arizona paused, _"Wow, commitment much?"_

"Surprisingly, it was Lexie who needed convincing. It was a bit dramatic for a bit, but they're now settled in lover's nest bliss."

_"Again, I'm impressed."_

"Who would have known, huh?"

_"What else is news?"_

"Oh! Merideth and Derek got married on a post-it."

_"A post it? What?"_

"Yeah, don't ask me how it works. But now they're literally in post marriage bliss and no one is safe from walking in on them going at it at work. Or their place, apparently. Lexie walked in on the multiple times. As I did around the hospital."

_"Ew."_

"Yeah, pretty much. They're nauseating to be around."

_"Again, ew."_

A comfortable silence settled around them.

"Want to know something funny?"

_"Always."_

"Webber came in after a fender bender to our ER today. I treated him."

_"Oh my God, was he okay?"_

"Completely fine, one hundred percent so. Didn't stop me letting the intern experiment on him before I let him go home."

_"I want to say that's mean-but it's pretty funny."_

"Pay back."

_"Still living with Christina?"_

"Yeah. Her and Hunt are glued to the hip. Though she told me his psych isn't letting them sleep together. I swear she's about to climb the walls. She goes from scary quiet to psycho in three seconds."

Arizona laughed, _"It's been weeks now, yeah? That is a long time without sex!"_

An awkward silence hit them.

Callie cleared her throat, "Shall we just by-pass that awkwardness?"

_"I'd appreciate that."_

"How many tiny human lives have you saved?"

_"Well, I've only just been able to get started on the intense cases. There's been minor surgeries, some cleft pallets and dealing with a few short gut's, a couple of hernias. Next week though, I'm kicking ass on a spina bifida case."_

Callie grinned at the excitement she heard in Arizona's voice, "It sounds amazing."

_"It really is, Callie. These kids-they had no health care. None. Basics that are a given in the US are a dream here. We start up an immunisation program next week, and my plan for next year is HIV education and support for under sixteens. It's not surgical, but the grant is kind of...limitless. It's just, incredible, the opportunities I've got here."_

"You're amazing."

_"Not really."_

Callie felt her pager going off on her hip, "Crap, that's my pager. I uh, I'm on night cover tonight, I better run."

_"I understand."_

They were silent again, neither wanting to end the conversation.

"I really appreciate you calling, Arizona."

_"I just needed to know you were okay. I-I'm sorry that I couldn't be there."_

Callie swallowed, "You're where you're meant to be."

She could almost see Arizona nodding, _"Take care of yourself. Congratulations on the Attending job."_

"Stay safe over there."

She hung up the phone, hands a little shaky.

####

**I promise longer updates from now. Reviews are loved. They are all that keep me motivated ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Your reviews gave me warm fuzzies :) Thanks to those with some longer feedback, such an enjoyable read! Thanks to everyone, really-reviews really do keep the motivation happening, and you're all so lovely x  
I'm taking liberty with the order some stuff happened in season six, only vaguely. Try stop me ;)

**Chapter Eleven  
Fading**

_Callie,_

_I'm glad we got to speak a fortnight ago, I hope you're still  
holding up okay. Just thought I'd flick an email your way to  
let you know I rocked the spina bifida case this week. It'll be  
ongoing, but two surgeries down and the little girl is coming  
along beautifully-she's a fighter. All these kids are. The  
immunisation program is up and running, so many tiny humans  
to jab. The nurses are working over time. The clinic is backed up  
with volunteer staff-it's amazing to see, hopefully it's not just a  
craze and it lasts. We're always short on Doctors, but the  
amount of nurses who volunteer their time is incredible._

_Hope Lexie and Mark are still in bliss. How's Izzy? Loving married  
life? She strikes me as someone who suits marriage. Karev suited  
paeds, he made a save with one of my cases. Stuck to his guns  
even with Hunt and I shooting him down. He showed us both up,  
a pretty humbling experience. Bummer about his attitude._

_Hope all is well_

_~Arizona_

####

_Arizona (over a week late to reply, I know, it's been crazy)_

_So glad to hear the clinic in Africa has set off so well, you're kicking  
ass. Hows that little girl now? Had any amazing ortho cases to make  
me jealous? Some of the polio seen there makes me itch to get a  
drill in to my hand. And you know, makes me sad and stuff. Mostly  
itch for a drill, though._

_Lexie and Mark are fine. The hospital, however, is all over the place.  
Residents are shitting themselves. Are you ready for this? Mercy West  
has merged with Seattle Grace. _

_I'm just going to give you a moment to take that in._

_._

_._

_Yeah, you read it right. They've merged, jobs everywhere are in  
jeopardy, except, somehow, mine. People are losing their jobs. Long  
term staff, the nurses are being hit hard. Izzy was fired-can you believe  
that, after everything? _

_I went to Webber at Marks insistence (he said if I didn't stop playing  
stupid and come back to where I belonged he'd stop meeting me for  
beer at Joes) and got given the Attending job I missed out on before.  
I don't know how they couldn't finance it before but could now, since  
so many cuts are being made, but thank God because otherwise I would've  
been out of a job. My guess? Webber _did_ rue the day he denied me and  
realised I am an Ortho Rock Star. Ha._

_Saying rue paid off._

_Stay safe  
~Callie._

She tapped out her name and quickly read her email over, blowing her fringe out of her eyes.

Callie had received the email from Arizona ten days ago and had almost burst into tears when she read it. The merger was occurring, she was out of a job and had had no idea what to do with her life: again. The idea of replying and trying to sound chirpy was beyond her. She was spending more time on Mark's couch than she knew Lexie was liking, but Callie hadn't known what else to do. Mark had apparently gotten over it too and had marched her into the hospital to beg for her job back.

Having managed to get it back, Callie had finally felt up to replying to her ex.

Callie flopped back into her chair, sighing heavily.

Her ex.

That sucked. Still.

Hitting send, she grabbed her coffee and finished it, throwing the take away cup in the recycling. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, she was tempted to not answer it when she saw the name. Only for a moment.

"Daddy?" Callie's eyebrows rose up to her hair line, "You're in the lobby?" She stopped dead in her tracks, "Okay, I'll be right there."

She hung up her phone and dropped it back into her pocket, suddenly nervous. She had managed to email her sister, Aria, a few weeks back, letting her know that her and Arizona had broken up. Aria was the only one who was still speaking to her, sharing the odd email over the last few months.

Aria had never replied, yet she had received an email from her father. Strange in itself since he had always been a phone person. Still better than the complete radio silence she'd had for months from the man, though. It had simply said he had heard her news and he'd see her soon. He hadn't replied to her question of 'when?' and still wasn't answering her calls. She was used to that, however, after the last few months and decided to just wait to see what happened. Everything had been so busy anyway, she'd been quickly distracted.

Now, after months of silence and one email, apparently her father was here and needed to speak with her.

Callie swallowed heavily and started the walk from her office to the lobby. She took the south stairwell, entering it just as Mark exited.

"Callie. Looking for me? Miss me?"

Callie raised her eyebrows at him, her face deadpan, "My fathers here."

Marks reaction was actually comical. The smile dropped from his face and he looked anxiously around, almost giving himself whiplash. Not seeing him, relief washed over his features, "Where? Why?"

"In the lobby. I haven't heard from him since he replied to that email and now he's here." She looked up at Mark, her voice small, "Do I have to see him?"

Mark put his hands on her shoulders, looking her steadily in the eye, "Yes."

"Why?"

"You can do this."

She widened her eyes, "No, I can't. And you're just saying that because you're happy he's not tearing around the corner towards you. If he was, you'd be fleeing, not comforting me."

Mark went to protest, thought better of it, and nodded, "Yup."

Callie sighed, Mark still holding her shoulders, "I don't think I have the energy for this. But I want my father back."

Mark gave her shoulders a squeeze before letting them drop, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed to appraise her, "Talk to him. It can't hurt."

Callie still held the door open; she hovered in it, not sure whether to walk through, "What if he still hates me?"

"He never hated you."

"He didn't speak to me for months. Now he only emailed me because he heard Arizona and I had broken up. And now he's here."

"His reaction was a load of crap, there's no denying that. But, he didn't hate you. Hear him out. Talk to him. Can't hurt."

Callie gnawed on her lip, "Walk down with me?"

Sloan looked amused, shaking his head, "Hell no." He pushed off the wall and started walking down the hallway.

Callie's mouth dropped open, "Mark!"

He called over his shoulder, "Go talk to him! I'm busy with Plastic's issues."

She almost stamped her foot, "Pussy!"

Mark turned as he kept walking and held his hand up to cup his ear, mouthing "What? Can't hear you?", turned the corner and was gone.

Callie rolled her eyes and entered the stair well. She walked quickly and soon found herself in the lobby, walking towards the man she'd never thought she'd feel this nervous to see.

"Calliope!"

He looked delighted to see her. Callie smiled back, hesitantly at first, it widening as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"Daddy."

She buried her face into his neck for a minute, breathing in the smell of cologne and childhood, before stepping back, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought it was time we talked, _mija_."

Callie nodded, "I've wanted to talk for a while now."

"You weren't being reasonable before. Now, I feel we may get somewhere with a conversation."

Callie took a deep breath, biting down the flare of anger that roiled in her chest, "Well, I actually have a free few hours. Did you want to go to lunch?"

He nodded, "Is there somewhere close by?"

They ended up at a café a block away, walking there in mostly silence. Callie was feeling more and more wound up, their lack of chatty conversation making her nervous. They always talked, non stop, about everything. The lack of verbal communication sat heavily.

They placed their orders and the silence rang around them.

"Why are you here?" The words tumbled from her lips. She winced at her abruptness, "I mean, why? Why now?"

"Actually, I was planning a trip here soon."

Callie's eyebrows shot up. She felt almost hopeful, "You were?"

He nodded, "I was." He chuckled suddenly, his face relaxing, "I was even contemplating bringing Father Kevin with me to talk some sense in to you, but apparently, that's no longer necessary."

Callie felt the hope flicker, fade. "You were going to bring Father Kevin?"

"Don't look at me like that, Calliope. I was running out of options. I thought if family silence wasn't working to show you the effects of your choices, then maybe a reminder of your religion could help."

"The family was silent because you bullied them into it."

His calm demeanor broke slightly, "I did no such thing! You needed repercussions for your actions."

Callie bit back on her angry response, fighting to keep her voice calm, "I'm not a child. My actions didn't need repercussions, they didn't affect you."

"How on Earth could you think you condemning yourself to eternal damnation wouldn't affect me? Or your mother? She wasn't sleeping, she was so scared for you."

Callie felt her breathing speed up, anger finally starting to get the better of her, "Eternal damnation? Daddy-"

"Calliope." He interrupted her. Her hands were balled up into fists on top of the table, and he leant forward, resting his hand over one of hers. It took all her will power to not wrench them angrily away. He looked at her, almost pleading, "It doesn't matter now."

Callie let out a slow breath. Could he, possibly, be accepting her?

"It doesn't matter now, you came to your senses and ended it with that girl. You came back to us, back to God."

She shut her eyes. Counted backwards from five. "Daddy." Opening her eyes, she looked at him beseechingly, "We didn't break up because I changed who I was."

He sat back quickly, pulling his hand off hers, "Oh, don't be silly, that was never who you were. You ran to someone you saw as safe after that stupid boy broke your heart. I can almost understand how that made sense to you. You were protecting yourself. But it was never who you were."

"I didn't run into the arms of a woman because I'd been scorned by a man, Daddy. Arizona wasn't even the first."

His eyes widened. He swallowed heavily, "Calliope. It isn't you. I did not raise you to be like this."

"You raised me to be whoever I was. And this is who I am."

"It's over now, you broke up."

"Yes, we broke up. But not because it wasn't good, or because I was unsatisfied because Arizona was a woman. We broke up because Arizona had to move country, because of differences in what we wanted from life, not from what we wanted from each other."

"You've been with men before, now this girl is gone, surely you can be with men again."

It wasn't a question.

Callie shook her head, the conversation frustrating her so much she felt tears burning, "That's not how this works. I don't know who I'll be with in the future, but I can't guarantee it'll be a man."

"It's a sin. If you like men, and are _choosing_ to be with women, that's even worse. You're actively making the decision to live in sin."

"It's not a sin to love someone!"

He rolled her eyes at her, making her feel like a petulant child, "It's not love. Love like that is between a man and woman, the way the bible teaches it."

"Don't start preaching the bible at me. The world is not black and white."

"The bible is black and white about this, Calliope."

The sat, glaring at each other, both puffed up with their own self righteousness.

Callie stood up, looking down at her father.

"This is me, it's who I am. The bible should be preaching love, Daddy, not driving a father to deny his daughter because of the gender of someone she loves."

He shook his head at her, "This is not who you are. I know who you are. You're a good girl."

"I'm still me."

He looked at her, his look hard, "You are not the daughter I raised."

Callie felt her eyes flood with tears. She refused to cry in front of him, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

She turned and walked away.

####

_Arizona,_

_Want a laugh for the day? _

_Marks kid turned up. Yup, Marks kid. _

_Her names Sloane. _

_Nice, huh? _

_Oh, and she's pregnant. At seventeen._

_Keeps getting funnier. _

_Merry Christmas, Mark! _

_Mark told her to move in with him and Little Grey. Little Grey  
was so shocked, she sliced the tip of her finger off. Yours truly  
sewed it back on, and it should be fine. But, still. Drama, drama,  
drama. Bet you don't get this kind of Soap Opera entertainment  
over there._

_That ORIF you performed sounds intense. But, I get to beat you  
and your Third World Country good deed surgeries. I had a girl come  
in with fifty two broken bones a few weeks back. She was shrooming  
and fell off her roof. Most intelligent, stupid girl you've ever met.  
Her parents are screwed._

_Fifty two broken bones! Best pre christmas present ever. Better than  
a knocked up daughter you didn't know you had, anyway._

_~Callie_

####

The lights in the clinic were dimmed, her office door shut. Arizona leant against a darkened hallway wall heavily, hands in her pocket, looking at the flashing Christmas tree lights a meter in front of her.

Her parents had joined her for the festive season, bringing with them four boxes of donated decorations and a scary amount of donated children's gifts. The kids had run rampant with them, the tree looked like it had been decorated by elves on speed. Or crack.

It was Christmas Day and no surgeries had been done. Her and the volunteers had purely focussed on being on the ward with the kids recovering. She and her Mum had tried to convince her Dad to dress up as Santa, but The Colonel wouldn't have a bar of it. One of the male nurses, a volunteer who had been there six weeks, did instead. Most of the kids had never received a christmas present, let alone multiple.

Arizona pushed her self off the wall, walking over to the tree. She squatted down, picking up a red bauble that had fallen down. She stood in the glow of the christmas tree lights, taking a minute to let her emotions rush over her. Just a moment.

She missed Tim.

She missed him so much she could hardly breathe. If he hadn't been overseas with his unit, he would have been there with her, delighting the kids, who would have flocked to him in waves. He would have been Santa, without a question. He would have made her dad lighten up, her mum smile. The two of them had always loved Christmas, receiving stockings well into their college years, always going over board with silly gifts to each other. Her last Christmas present from him had been a snow globe the size of her head from the state Arizona. He had thought he was hilarious, the sound of his laughter coming from the lap top on the dining table booming as he took in the look on her face.

She lifted the bauble up, hooking it back onto the tree, her fingers trailing along the glass slowly as she let it go to hang among the others.

She missed Callie. Their emails were brief, purely catch ups, impersonal. She couldn't ask more of Callie than that, and Callie's emails never requested more from Arizona. Which is how it should be, how she'd made sure it would be.

Arizona squared her shoulders, her chin jutting out. She turned from the tree, walking down the hall way to go have dinner with her parents and their tight smiles. To not talk about how she missed Callie.

And God, to definitely not talk about how she missed Tim.

####

_Callie,_

_Give Mark a hug from me. Actually, we never hugged. Ever.  
__Maybe not a hug. Buy him a beer from me. While it sounds  
like he's being a hypocritical ass (I'm allowed to say it, you said  
it first) about the Lexie and Karev thing, I feel for him. Losing  
Lexie and Sloane all at once. That's a rough run._

_You had the chicken pox? Gross, Callie. Glad you're better though.  
But still, gross_

_This Teddy sounds delightful-get her and Mark to distract each  
other from their love woes. They can be each others candy, or  
one nighter...or multi nighter. Or something._

_I'd say play cupid for Valentines Day with them, but its a few  
weeks too late. Just get them drunk, that'll work._

_Good luck on your presentation. You never would have struck  
me as someone who hates public speaking so much. You'll be  
fine! Picture them naked. Apparently, that helps. I never understood  
how, though._

_~Arizona._

####

The shot slid down Callie's throat, hitting her stomach and warming her insides.

"That's it, Callie. Knock em back." Teddy nodded once, to affirm the seriousness of her statement, taking her shot quickly and grimacing like a kid who just swallowed Brussel sprouts.

"That's number four!" Bailey sounded delighted, "No, number five. If you don't watch it, you'll be emptying your stomach on the bar top before we're ready to leave."

Bailey knocked back her sixth gin and tonic, signalling for a new one from the passing waitress. Teddy swayed in her seat, her eyebrows raised at the hypocrisy of Bailey's statement.

"Actually, Bailey," Callie pointed at her, a triumphant look on her face, "I've thrown up seven times today already. There's nothing left, I have no more to bring up." She chugged at her beer.

"_Seven _times?"

Callie nodded emphatically, "Seven. I wish I was exaggerating. I hate Shepherd, still, and will forever, for making me get up there."

"But, you kicked its ass. You, my friend" Teddy gestured at her with her drink, "made a man with polio walk. _And_ you talked to a whole crowded room about it. As did Bailey, about her appendectomy, abdo pain woman."

Bailey nodded, "So we celebrate!"

They all raised their glasses, clinking them together and drinking deeply.

"Why is Mark Sloan getting drunk with some hussy and not with us?"

Bailey and Callie turned to look where Teddy was gesturing to see Mark Sloan chatting to a busty blonde at the bar, empty glasses surrounding them; he was studiously not looking at them.

Callie rolled her eyes, "He's mad at me."

"What?" Bailey swung back around to look at her, "Mark Sloan doesn't get mad at you."

"Well, he is. I dunno why, but he won't talk to me. Maybe it's cause I told him he was a hypocritical ass for being so mad at Lexie." Callie scrunched her face up in confusion, "But that was a little while ago and he's talked to me since."

Teddy bounced in her seat, "I know why! I know why! Oh, thank you!" The last part directed at the waitress who put down a fresh drink for each of them and a new supply of shots.

"You know why? How do you know why?"

"You made it pretty obvious."

Bailey reached over to get a new drink, "Oh! I know now!"

Callie looked annoyed, "What I do?"

Teddy threw back a shot, the same brussel sprout look on her face, "You slept with Karev. He currently hates Karev."

Callie's mouth was open, gaping at them all.

When her facial expression didn't change, Bailey picked up a nut from the bowl in the middle, aimed in a swaying manner for Callie's open mouth and threw it at her. It bounced off her cheek.

"Ew, Bailey, who knows who touched those!"

Teddy looked genuinely affronted on behalf of Callie.

Callie blinked, mouth finally closing, "I made it that obvious?"

Both women looked at her, their eyebrows half way up their foreheads.

Callie looked from one to the other, "Shit!"

She dropped her head onto the table, her forehead thudding on the wood.

Teddy leant forward to pat her on the head, "It's okay. It was only obvious to those with ears."

"This is why I hate public speaking," Callie's voice was muffled, "I say stupid stuff. I once said Orgasm in a bio presentation instead of Organism."

Both Teddy and Bailey snorted into their drinks, coughing and spluttering.

Callie sat up, glaring at the two women. The ferocity of which was partly ruined by the nut sticking to her forehead.

"Gimme a shot."

Teddy pushed a shot forward in front of Callie, leaning forward and flicking the nut off her forehead, "You really said orgasm?"

Callie nodded, 'Yup." She threw the shot back, barely grimacing, "Twice."

Bailey snorted into her drink again, "Tores! Not when I'm drinking!"

"Karev was years ago, he'll get over it, right?"

Bailey rolled her eyes, "The mighty Mark Sloan's ego has taken a beating as of late. He'll forgive and forget. You two are a team. A strange, incestual, dysfunctional one. But a team."

Callie smiled gratefully, "Yeah. Good."

Bailey turned to look at Teddy, "Why are you drinking?"

Teddy looked surprised, pausing with her drink halfway up to her mouth, "Um. I'm thirsty? Well, I'm not _thirsty_, I've consumed a lot of fluid." She looked at Bailey, confused, as the woman continues to look at her, "Um, because I want to be drunk?"

"Well, you are drunk. We have been for a while. What I mean, Altman, is why do _you_ want to be this level of inebriated?" Bailey gestured with her glass between herself and Callie, "Tores is trying to forget her giant mouth and is drinking to her relief the stupid Lecture Day is done, I am for the same reasons bar the giant mouth, and also because the man I was meant to be dining with got called into the OR. You? Why are you this level of drunk?"

Teddy finally brought her drink back up to her lips, draining what was left. She looked from Bailey, who was looking at her expectantly, to Callie, who looked intrigued, her own glass now empty.

Sighing, she dropped her glass heavily onto the table.

"I un-rung the bell. So now I'm drinking. Because you can't un-ring something that's been rung. I mean, once it's ringing, it's rung, you know?"

A beat of silence.

"No, I don't know." Bailey shook her head.

Callie's eyes widened, "Oh! You mean Owen!"

It was Teddy's turn to drop her forehead onto the table, "Shhh."

Bailey nodded, "That makes sense, it's Hunt."

Teddy didn't even bother to raise her head, "How do you know, Bailey? Callie know's cause she has to listen to me talk about it, but how do _you_ know?"

Bailey finished her drink, taking it upon herself, again, to signal for another round, "I'm Bailey. I know everything. That, and you two throw looks around that could make a nun need a napkin to sit on."

Callie cracked up. Even Teddy sat up, a grin on her face, "That's gross."

"Well, it made you laugh."

Callie looked from Teddy, to Sloan at the bar and back to Teddy, "Oh! Teddy! You're drunk!"

Teddy raised her eyebrows, "Stating the obvious much?"

"But Sloans drunk, too."

Bailey looked over at the bar, taking in the empty glasses surrounding Sloan, "Do you have a point?"

"Well, we can't use cupids, but alcohol works. As was pointed out to me yesterday."

Teddy reached delightedly for the new drink that was placed in front of her by the waitress, "What was pointed out to you?"

"You should use Sloan. To make you feel better."

Bailey looked at her like she was a moron, sipping her drink and looking at Teddy to see what she'd say.

Teddy swirled the ice around her drink with her straw, "Um, should you be trying to pimp out your best friend to your other friend to use and abuse?"

Bailey looked back to Callie, straw between her lips.

"You both need some happy. He gives a pretty good happy." Callie nodded, "No complications. Go for it."

Bailey looked back to Teddy.

Teddy rolled her eyes, "I'm fine. But thanks."

Neither Bailey nor Callie missed the very unsubtle way Teddy then chose to look Sloan up and down however.

"Oh, shit, he's coming over!"

Teddy tried to act natural, skulling from her drink and spilling it on her front.

Sloan slid into a chair between Callie and Teddy.

"Ladies. Hello."

He nodded at them.

All three cracked up.

He looked at them, bemused. Callie clapped a hand on his shoulder, still laughing, and signalled for a beer from the waitress. She brought it over and Callie handed it to Sloan.

"I know you're pissed at me. I'm sorry. Karev is a douche and you are King of Men." Sloan went to interupt her sarcasm, "But. This beer is for you. From Arizona. Enjoy."

Sloan raised his eyebrows at her, "From Blondie?"

"She knows things have been shit. She said to get you a beer. She originally said to give you a hug, but then thought that would be weird from her. So she said beer."

Sloan nodded, "Beer is fine. When did you talk to her?" He looked at her curiously. As did Bailey and Teddy.

"Email." She shrugged as nonchalantly as she could, reaching forward for another shot glass, "Stop staring at me now, please."

All three drunk people dropped their eyes.

"Thankyou."

Mark looked back up, "It's been six months. You still talk?"

All three sets of blurry eyes were back on her. Sighing, Callie fiddled with her shot glass.

"We only talked that once. It's the rare email now. Really, Mark, no big deal."

"But-"

"Drop it, okay?"

He sipped his beer, "Why do you have a dent in your forehead?"

Teddy sniggered, "It's a nut dent."

"You are one classy lady, Tores."

Callie sipped her beer, "I'm on fire today."

Not too many hours later, but many drinks more, and a drunk Teddy leant over to a drunk Mark and asked, not at all quietly, "Want to get out of here?"

Marks eye widened, a grin split across his face, "Let's go."

The two stood up, waving good bye to Bailey and Callie. As he walked past her, Sloan leant down to whisper in her ear.

"Time to get you back on that horse, too."

She waved at him dismisively as he followed Teddy out.

She looked back to Bailey, grinning happily as Bailey watched the two leave together, "I did that."

Bailey raised her eyebrows at her, "Alcohol did that."

"Fifty fifty, Bailey."

Bailey picked up her half full drink, "Everything's blurry."

Callie nodded, "Yup."

"How's thing's with your father?"

Callie blinked rapidly at the topic change, her brain trying to switch gears to a more serious subject, "My dad?"

Bailey nodded, "Yeah. With your dad. We both have Daddy issues."

"They're, uh. Okay. We talk every few weeks on the phone, which is improved from a few months ago."

Bailey looked at her, "But?"

"We used to talk daily, at least weekly. And I'm all gay, or bi, or whatever now and he can't accept it. And that's fine," Callie threw her hands up in the air, "But it's not fine. Because we barely talk."

Bailey was nodding into her glass again.

Callie looked at her, "How about your dad?"

"He tries. I still get lectures. _Long_ lectures. That make me feel like I'm five years old."

"So that's where you got that from?"

Bailey smirked. She took a sip, her expression settling into something more serious.

"Our parents, they're stupid and need to get over themselves."

Callie raised her eyebrows at Bailey's candour.

"What? It's true. So you like to play on both ends of the skipping rope and I got a divorce, who cares? We're first class surgeons, MD's. Doctors! We save lives. Regularly." Bailey nodded to herself, "You made a man walk who should never have even stood. We are _good _people."

Callie actually felt herself tear up.

"We are _great_ people. But, because a book says choices we made, out of necessity, or who we are, in our being, is wrong...it's not good enough for our parents. We are made to feel like _we_ aren't good enough. I don't ever want to put that on my child."

Callie raised her glass. They clinked them.

"Both ends of the skipping rope?"

"I'm not up on the lingo, Tores."

#####

**As promised, much longer :) Love to hear your thoughts, as always. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **M! Note the warning :)  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Your reviews continue to give me warm fuzzies-thanks to those throwing ideas out there, it's fun reading your thoughts on it all. Hope you continue to enjoy, it's a long road and I hope you're enjoying the ride.  
I'm bringing some events of season six forward, messing with the timeline. Again, some stuff is happening a bit earlier than it did on the show. We're still six months in :)

**Chapter Twelve  
Denial**

Her heels dug into the soft skin of a lower back, urging them on. One hand was buried in wavy hair, tugging none too gently while the other grasped at her own breast, fingers rolling her own nipples roughly between them.

"More, please?" Arizona's voice was strangled, breathless, full of need.

She felt a third finger slip up and into her and she was so fucking wet they had no trouble. The tongue on her clit moved faster, urged on by her hips, moving wildly and having to be held by a firm hand wrapped around her thigh to stop her raising herself off the bed.

Arizona was vaguely aware she was saying "oh, God!" over and over, in time to the fingers pumping in and out of her. She felt her hips speeding up, no longer in a rhythm; spasmodic, no control.

She let go of her own chest, her fingers wrapping around the wood of the bed head over her head, nails biting into it. Her fingers dug down on to the head between her legs, pushing it harder against her.

"Fuck!" She felt herself starting to come undone.

She felt the head push against her hand and she let it go, fingers digging into the bed sheets instead, knuckles white. Before she could come, she felt their head lift up and off of her. Arizona forced herself to look down, losing herself in brunette eyes.

Callie grinned at her, "Come for me, Arizona." She thrust her fingers up one final time, curling them against her.

Arizona woke up in a rush, her own hand buried between her legs, her toes still curled from the orgasm that had woken her. She was wetter than she could ever remember being.

She lay for a second, her own breathing ragged in her ears, gaining a sense of where she was. The room was silent around her, the white mosquito net that surrounded her bed giving the room a hazy look in the darkness. Her heart was thudding in her ears.

She groaned frustratedly, rolling over to bury her face into the mattress. She pulled her pillow over her head.

"Fuck."

It was not said in the same manner she'd said it in her dream.

####

"I think my patient just called me hot."

Callie dropped the chart she'd been holding on to the nurses station, leaning her elbows on the top and looking at Mark with an almost pleading look in her eyes.

Mark looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Callie shrugged, "She wasn't even subtle about it. I think I've forgotten how to flirt."

Sloan snorted, "That's embarrassing."

"You're an ass." Her pen hit him on his shoulder, bouncing off to land in front of him at the desk where he sat, rocking back on his chair.

"Well, what she say."

"She was out twenty bucks because her friend told her that at least her doctor would be hot, and she disagreed."

Sloan looked impressed, "Damn. That's good."

Callie groaned and dropped her head down on the bench, "I just laughed like an idiot."

Mark laughed, "I wish I coulda watched. You go red?"

Callie lifted her head to glare at him.

"Oh, never mind, you still are. Question answered."

She narrowed her eyes, "You're too perky. How are you not as hung over as I am after last night?"

Mark smirked, "I worked it off."

"Oh, God. I did not need that image of you and Teddy in my head."

"You asked."

"You see Bailey? She's kicking, like, everyone off that really large guys case. That's her hangover talking."

Mark huffed a laugh, "Don't even say really large, it's sensitivity day. She'll kick you off next."

Callie rolled her eyes, "I'm not on it to get kicked off of."

"So, you're not busy?"

"Nope."

"So, you're just hiding from the flirty patient."

"She's having scans. She's off somewhere." Mark raised his eyebrows again, "And yes, I'm hiding."

Mark rolled his eyes at her, "She wont be your patient forever. Flirt back, it's been months. It's not healthy to go that long without sex."

Callies pager went off, "Looks like I'm going to get my chance to get kicked off this case by Bailey."

"What happened?"

"It's a page Mark, not an extensive email about the details of why they need me."

"Wow. Seriously. Get laid."

The second pen caught him on the forehead.

####

Callie was sat bedside of that one flirty patient. She nodded to Lexie, "Doctor Grey?"

"Okay, Jamie, we're going to open up your knee and we're gonna wire all the pieces of your patella back together."

Jaime looked at Callie, "Are you going to do the operation?" She grinned, "You'll hold my hand through the whole thing?"

Callie felt herself grinning awkwardly, "I think it'll be better if I'm holding the scalpel. But I can hold your hand right now?"

Callie took her hand in between her own.

"Fine."

Chuckling, Callie asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

"I can't think of anything, but I don't want the hand holding part to end." Callie laughed, "So, uh, can we sit here a minute?"

"You are so bad," Callie laughed, again, standing up, her hand slipping to her side, "I will see you in the OR."

Callie cleared her throat and walked past the smirking Lexie and Percy, who followed her out.

As the walked into the hall, and neared the nursing station, Percy piped up, "Wow, should we have left you two alone?"

Callie put the chart down, "What?"

"Getting a little steamy in there."

"Oh, give me a break. There was not." Callie laughed, "That was...chit chat."

Lexie smile, "Yeah, there was steam. It was steamy chit chat."

"With hand holding."

Callie felt like the inquisition had taken the form of two very annoying, smirking residents.

"Yeah, physical contact's an important part of establishing patients trust. Bailey did patient sensitivity this morning. Did she teach you nothing?

"So, there was no flirting going on? I was just imagining that." Percy looked far too pleased with himself.

"Yeah, she was flirty and I was flirty back because I'm trying to put her at ease."

Lexie leant her chin on her hand, both residents feigning understanding as they looked at her, nodding condescendingly.

"Talking to the patient the way they talk to you, makes them feel understood, and safe and-"

Both nodded again, looking sideways at each other and back at Callie.

"And you're morons." Realising she was getting nowhere with this, Callie walked off down the hallway. She turned back mid walk, "Oh, and a little pervy. Jeese." She walked off.

Lexie laughed and Percy raised his eyebrows at her, "Yeah, we're the pervy ones."

"Putting the patient at ease. Right." Lexie rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Wish a patient who looked like that wanted _me _to put them at ease."

"Keep dreaming." Lexie shoved him in the shoulder and they both headed off in separate directions.

####

"Clamp!"

The monitor was going crazy, and Arizona was worried there weren't enough clamps in the world to stop the bleeding from this little boy. Her hands buried in his abdomen, she pulled one out, slick with blood, and grasped the silver clamp held out to her. She clamped off his left renal artery, controlling some of the bleeding for the time being.

"Hang two more units of O Neg and stat through 750mL of Saline. Actually, just keep the fluid going. We need to keep his pressure up."

She flashed her eyes up to the monitor. BP 49, too low even for a four year old boy, heart rate 184. Sats not too bad, 93%. She had to move fast.

Her hands moved quickly, clamping off the other bleeders, scalpel flashing as she made a decision.

"I'm removing the kidney. Waters!" The assisting surgeon flicked his eyes up, hands steady as he gripped the retractors, "Hand that over to Susan, I want your hands in here. Have you ever removed a spleen?"

The eager surgeon was already letting the retractors go as Susan, their first scrub nurse, slipped in, hands firm as she held them in place, her eyes on Arizona, "No, Ma'am, but I've watched it." His voice was keen.

"Well, I'll talk you through it as I clear this mess up."

The tiny boy had been brought in, unconscious and covered in blood in his fathers arms. The man had screamed for help in broken English. The local staff had been paged to help with translating, and they had gotten the story, Arizona getting it second hand from the staff on route to the OR. A wild dog had leapt at the boy, who had been delighted to find puppies in the back field of the families property; the dog had not been so happy. The father had heard him screaming and ran to see the dog latched to the childs left side. Its jaws had been locked, they'd had to rip it off of him. The father was currently being stitched up, the dog turning on him when he had finally gotten it off the boy. He hadn't even been aware he'd been bitten, so concerned for his son.

It was the first trauma for the clinic.

Trying to forget the desperate look in the father's eye, Arizona focused on the little boys torn up organs in front of her, having to put faith in her assisting fellow for the spleen.

"Get more clamps in there, there's too many bleeders. We need to get that spleen out if we have any hope of stopping this blood loss."

Susan chimed in, "Heart rate 130, BP slowly up at 54."

Arizona nodded as she kept working, "Stat dose Imogam for rabies, he already had the IM immunisation when we triaged him."

It was going to be a long one.

####

Callie stood outside the room, hovering, not sure if she should enter. The flirting was nice-very nice. She hadn't felt like this in months. She had butterflies, her heart had sped up.

It just wasn't the same as with Arizona.

Yes, it was flattering. Yes, she flirted back. It was so nice to feel desirable. The girl with the messed up patella was cute, hot even. Fun. She was just more nervous, than excited.

What had Sloane said last night? It was time for her to get back on the horse? What if she wasn't ready to. What if she more just wanted to pet the horse, or watch it canter around while sitting on the fence, admiring it's form and sipping a wine? Or to lay in bed, and just read stories about other people who liked horses?

Okay, this analogy was getting weird.

She took a deep breath and walked through the door.

Jaimie's face lit up as she entered, "Doctor Tores. I was just thinking of you."

Callie smiled at her, "Mhmm. Hows the pain meds working out?"

"I think I've lost what little inhibitions I had left."

"Well, that's concerning."

Jaimes smile got wider, "Are you really complaining?"

Callie laughed, "Right. Well. Doctor Grey already came in to let you know how it went?"

"Yup," Jaime nodded, "All went well." She ticked each point off on her fingers, "I have to go to physical therapy if I ever hope to get back to racing condition. Don't skimp the pain meds to be tough or impressive." She winked, "Oh, and you're a surgical God."

Callie smiled again, looking down at the ground and shaking her head at the woman's boldness, "Right, well, I won't be here in the morning when they let you go, so if it hurts before your follow up, give me a call." Callie handed her her card, "Okay? And if it oozes green stuff, call me."

"Can I call you if it's late at night, I'm kinda drunk and I run across an old John Hughes movie on the tube?"

Callie's eyes widened, "Wow. Um. I, uh-"

Jaime grinned, "Well," She reached forward and took hold of Callies hand, stealing a pen from her front pocket, writing her number on it, "Use that, as the spirit moves you." She looked up at Callie from under her lashes, "Now get outta here. I'm on drugs."

Callie nodded, half smiling, half looking like an idiot, "O-Okay."

She fled the room.

So much for patients being intimidated by doctors and feeling unable to ask the questions they want to.

####

Arizona couldn't stop grinning as she filled in the last of her notes. She'd kicked that surgeries ass. Trauma was tough with kids: they did well and did well and then suddenly, they'd flat line. Not this one though, they'd pulled him through. One less kidney, no spleen, some bowel removed and a hell of a lot of internal stitches later, and he was going to be okay.

His father had sobbed openly when she'd told him, wrapping her in such a fierce hug she'd felt a her back pop-a nice feeling after such a long surgery.

"Nice one, Doctor Robbins."

Arizona looked up, smiling at the woman in front of her, "Thanks, Susan. It's easy, really, when you have a team that can back you up. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Waters did well, kid looks like all his christmas' have come at once."

Susan leant on her elbow next to Arizona, her brown hair falling loose around her face.

"Did you just call him a kid?"

Susan grinned, "He's twenty five. I'm thirty one. He's a kid. I've nursed in these programs for ten years. I feel kinda old."

Arizona cocked her head to the side, "Well, I'm thirty two. So I must be ancient."

"We should make a club."

"The Old Hags of Africa."

Susan laughed, "Hags'R'Us, Africa Division. Apply at the lobby, Zimmer Frames on the left."

"I'd rather one of those gopher things."

Chuckling, Susan raised her eyebrows at her, green eyes lit up, "You don't look thirty two."

Arizona rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Right."

"I'd guess twenty six."

"Now you're just teasing."

"I only tease at appropriate times." She winked at Arizona, pushing off the desk.

Was her scrub nurse flirting with her?

Susan spoke again before the blonde could respond, "A bunch of us are going for a drink. Waters is buying, he's on such a high. Join?"

Arizona had gone for drinks a few times, starting to consider some of the volunteers and staff friends. They were a close group, working in such tight quarters to get something still so new off the ground. Some volunteers were only there a few weeks, other sticking it out for longer programs. The paid staff, however, were all on six to twenty four month contracts. Some of them were locals, the others from all over the world-including the States, UK and Australia. Waters had been there a few months on an international rotation from London and Arizona was enjoying teaching someone so eager. He was getting opportunities in the Clinic that just wouldn't occur back home; as did the nurses staff and volunteers, hell, even Arizona saw and did things here that were a dream in the US. She trusted them all in the OR immensely, enjoying the education she was getting to give. Susan had been on staff for two weeks now, contracted through an agency she'd been with for years. So far, she had fit right in.

Arizona considered the question. Some socializing sounded fun.

She nodded, "Drinks sound great."

"Excellent." The arm squeezed her forearm, "We're all leaving in about half an hour. Maybe I can do some of that teasing?"

Arizona smiled at her as Susan let her hand slide slowly off her arm before turning and walking down the hallway.

Arizona let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

Her scrub nurse had definitely just been flirting with her.

And it felt nice.

Which made her have a tug of guilt in her stomach.

Because it really did feel nice. She hadn't had sex in six months. Arizona bit her lip, turning back to the notes in front of her.

Six months.

She had never, ever in her life gone six months.

It had never been a conscious effort. It was just something that had never happened. Someone, something, always came along. It had always been easy, something without thought. Even when she was sixteen and in high school, she had found women and sex easy. Not in a trampy way.

But now, it had been six months.

At first, Callie had been at the forefront of her mind. They had ended, broken up. But-it had been so amicable. They hadn't broken up because they didn't fit well, or they were too different, or too the same, or wanted to see other people or didn't really like each other or any of the good reasons. They'd split because Arizona had to move country. It was hard to let go of something like that, regardless of the logic. It lingered, like soap on skin.

Then the clinic had kept her busy. immensely busy. The last two months or so, however, things had started to settle, the clinic starting to run as it should. She had started to make friends with some of the staff, there was beginning to be some routine. Arizona looked down the hallway, watching Susan where she had stopped to chat to one of the other nurses. The woman flicked her eyes sideways to see Arizona watching her, throwing her a small smile before turning back to her friend.

Six months was a very long time.

The phone at the desk rang, and Arizona welcomed the distraction to pick it up.

####

"Christina, I can't do another beer. It's a Wednesday."

Christina continued to stand in front of her where she was perched on one of their bar stools in the lounge room, beer held aloft. Her facial expression didn't change, except to raise her eyebrows.

Sighing, Callie took the drink.

"You, too, Teddy."

Teddy accepted the beer without complaint, opening it and taking a long sip. Five beers in, and Callie was hovering between being drunk again and a permanent hang over.

Christina leant against the bar top next to Teddy, both women appraising Callie, whose chair was pulled out a bit further into the room.

"How short were you thinking?"

Callie lifted her hand, indicating just above her shoulders. She bit her lip nervously, "Or is that too short?"

Christina and Teddy cocked their head to the side simultaneously, appraising Callie. They nodded at once.

"Do it." They spoke simultaneously,

"You two spend _way_ too much time together."

They smirked, Christina shrugging, "We're the cardio dream team, not our fault. And not my fault that my room mate and attending are now besties."

Callie rolled her eyes, "Anyway, why the drinking mission, Yang?"

Christina shrugged.

Teddy looked at her then back to Callie, summing it up as quickly as she could, "Rough day. Patient died. She had a little girl. Christina was the one to tell her."

"Can we talk about something else?"

Callie sipped her beer, raising her eyebrows at Teddy, who shrugged.

"Maybe I'll cut it tomorrow, I'm off for three days before nights start." Callie sipped her beer, "Which I'm going to need, because apparently being hung over wasn't enough for today, I'm doing it again tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks for that."

Callie looked at Christina questioningly, "What?"

"For coming home at one am, slamming the door, and passing out on the couch on your back in your underwear and snoring the apartment down."

Callie grimaced, "Sorry about that."

"You can make it up to me tonight by continuing to drink beer. Meredith is with Derek and Owen got called back to the ER."

Callie leant forward, holding her bottle out, "Deal." They all clinked their beers together.

"Oh, and by letting me cut your hair like you said you would twenty minutes ago, instead of getting it done tomorrow."

Callie took a _very_ long sip her beer. She was bad ass. She was single and awesome. She got hit on by random hottie patients. She did _not _miss her ex who left the country six months ago. She could change her hair style.

"Okay. Cut it."

Christina's eye's lit up, "For real?"

Teddy's eye's were wide. She raised her beer to her lips to hide her smirk.

"Do it before I change my mind."

"I'll find scissors."

Christina disappeared down the hallway.

"You're brave."

Callie tilted her head to the side, looking at Teddy, "You okay?"

Teddy took a deep breath, "Yeah."

"Teddy."

Teddy rolled her eyes again, "I'm fine. Owen is just...everywhere. I feel guilty. Christina is...my resident. And apparently now a drinking buddy."

Callie nodded, letting her ramble. She knew there was something else.

"And I feel like a dirty ho."

There it was.

Callie smirked, "Sex with Mark will do that to ya."

"Yeah, well, it was also amazing."

Callie nodded, "So don't let yourself feel like a ho. Enjoy it. Maybe it'll help with the Owen stuff. Besides, Marks a good guy."

Teddy raised her eyebrows.

"Really, he is." Callie laughed.

Both women quickly took a sip of their drinks as Christina re-entered the room.

"Found 'em."

Callie took another nervous sip of her beer.

"Have you cut hair before?"

"It's easy."

She slid behind Callie and started chopping.

She heard the door open as the first snip sounded, turning her head to see who was entering. "Eye's forward, Tores! Don't want me to accidentally cut off your ear."

"Ladies! Drinking, again?" Sloan walked into the kitchen, pulling a beer out of the fridge, "Anyone need a new one?"

"Yes please!" All three got handed a new beer, Sloan leaning against the bar top next to Teddy, smiling at her as he tilted his bottle towards her. They clinked them together, Teddy grinning slightly as she turned back to watch Christina move around Callie, scissors flying.

"Tores." A slow grin worked its way on to Mark's face, "What's that on your hand?"

The scissors stopped moving. All four people in the room stared at Callie's hand, the inked numbers standing out boldly where it was wrapped around her beer bottle.

"Uh-"

Marks grin grew, as did Teddy's, "Is that hotty patients number?"

"Uh-"

"It so it." Mark looked triumphant, "And my girls back in the game!"

Callie rolled her eyes, relieved when Christina went back to her hair.

"It might be."

Teddy smirked, "It is. Hotty patient stole Callie's pen and wrote it on her hand, then told her to 'use it as the spirit moves her'. Even surgical scrub soap wouldn't get it off."

Callie glared at her, "Secrets, Teddy."

Teddy shrugged at her, taking another sip.

Mark laughed, "Excellent. Call her, Callie."

Callie shook her head, whincing when she felt scissors jab her skull, "Ow! Christina!"

"Well don't move! Jeese."

Mark was staring intently at her arm, "You gotta call her."

Teddy nodded, "Call her."

"I can't."

"Can't?" Mark raised her eyebrows, still staring at her arm, "Or won't?"

"Stop staring, Mark. It's creepy."

"At least text her."

Callie rolled her eyes, "Maybe."

"Liar."

"Teddy! You're meant to be on my side!"

"Take your own advice, Callie." Teddy winked at her.

Mark pushed himself off the bench, wandering behind Callie and over to the couch, plopping down with a loud sigh.

"What are you doing?" She called without moving her head, scared of Christina jabbing her in the scalp again.

"Nothing."

Callie looked at Teddy, who was looking increasingly amused.

"Mark! What are you doing?"

"Sitting, Callie."

"I can hear the smirk in your voice." She listened harder, lifting her hand up to still Christina's hand, "I hear texting noises."

"I'm allowed to text."

"_My_ phone's texting noises."

There was no retort this time around.

Callie jumped up, the towel Christina had draped around her neck falling to the floor as she spun on her heel to look at Mark. Her eyes widened.

"Put. My. Phone. Down."

She took a step forward.

Mark barely looked at her, "Take another step and I'll send it."

Callie froze.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would."

Mark looked up, smirking. They stared at each other for a minute.

"What does it say?" Christina plopped down next to him on the couch, beer in hand, apparently not remotely caring she'd been interrupted cutting Callie's hair.

Mark cleared his throat, raising his voice up to a pitch that had apparently become his mimicking Callie tone, "'Hey, this is your kick ass surgeon from today. Dinner Saturday night? I'm off work all day, maybe we could make it an afternoon coffee if that works better?'"

Teddy chimed in from behind Callie, still rooted to the floor, "Really, that's it?"

Mark looked at her, "What do you mean?"

Teddy shrugged, "I don't know. I expected smarmyness from you. Maybe some dirty innuendo."

"Excuse me, but I'll have you know I can be a gentleman."

Christina snorted.

"Shut up, Yang."

She rolled her eyes and drank her beer.

"Mark." Callie's voice was firm, she raised a finger in the air, "Put my phone down."

Mark raised his eyebrows. He lifted the phone up off his lap.

"Don't you _dare_ move a finger."

Mark hovered his thumb over the send button.

"You don't even have her number."

"What do you think I was doing staring at your arm for that long?"

Callie narrowed her eyes, "Do _not_ send that."

He tapped his finger down. The phone made the 'whooshing' noise it made when sending a text out into the universe.

Callie dropped her hand down, her mouthing dropping open.

Teddy's laughter came from behind her, "Nice."

Callie spun on her heel to glare at her, "Don't encourage him!"

Teddy shrugged, "Someone needs to encourage_ you_."

Christina laughed from the couch. Callie spun again, glaring at her this time, "Yang! You're my roommate. Take my side."

Christina brought her feet up onto the coffee table, "If it helps, I was laughing at your hair, not at what Mark did. Though," she tipped her beer to him, "Kudos."

Mark nodded at her, sipping his own drink.

Callies hands flew up to her hair, "What do you mean?"

Mark grimaced at her, Christina shrugging. Callie ran to the bathroom.

A lot of swearing in Spanish floated towards them. She practically marched back in to the room.

"Christina!"

Christina sucked air between her teeth, "Yeah. I still can't believe you let me do that."

In Mark's lap, Callie's phone beeped. He picked up, smirking at what was flashed up on the screen.

"You may want to book a hair cut before your date Saturday."

Callie looked from one smirking face to the other.

"You all suck."

####

_**Really **_**hope I'm not losing you all! **

**Reviews are loved-it's sad, really, how much each alert to a new review brightens my day ;).**


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Ah, some of you still kind of dislike me ;) sorry! And it'll probably only get worse. My bad, again. Love the reviews guys, they give me such warm fuzzies to read. And thanks to the Guest that pointed out my poor spelling of some of my favourite characters names ...awkward! Appreciate it.  
I'm terrible at stretching out updates. If something's written, I have to put it up. Sigh.

**Chapter Thirteen  
Tripping**

"Callie, I love your hair!"

Callie smiled, her hand running through the short curls, "Yeah?"

Teddy nodded emphatically, pulling her into the cafe they'd met outside of, getting out of the pouring rain. The Saturday crowd was yet to hit in force, and they didn't have too much trouble ordering their drinks and finding a table by a window.

"Seriously, love it." Teddy grinned as they slid into their seats, "Go Cristina."

Callie raised her eyebrows at her, "Cristina massacred my hair. I looked like a child on acid had got hold of scissors and mauled me."

Teddy nodded, "True. But it meant you _had_ to go to the hairdresser. Which was probably her plan."

"It was her plan, sure, but I think she also enjoyed making me look like that."

"Well, let's be honest Callie, we all enjoyed you looking like that."

Callie poked her tongue out. She looked up and thanked the waitress as she placed down two very large coffees in front of them.

Teddy sighed happily, "Ah caffeine. I was at the hospital for fourty one hours my last shift. The chief kicked me out this morning and told me I had to sleep."

"So instead you met me for a coffee?"

Teddy shrugged, "Same same. You've been off for two days, I needed a gossip session."

Callie laughed, "When are you back?"

"Tomorrow at nine am. You're on nights from tomorrow, yeah? So in at seven tomorrow night?"

"Yup. Two weeks of nights. Joy."

Teddy stirred sugar into her coffee, looking up cheerily, "But, plenty of time to ruminate over your date tonight."

" Don't say the 'D' word. I'm just meeting someone for food. That is all."

"Date." Teddy raised her eyebrows at her, "Date. Date date date."

A sugar packet hit her on the forehead. She grinned, picking it up off her lap, "Thanks, I wanted another one."

Callie rolled her eyes, Teddy happily adding the sugar to her coffee.

"Come on, Callie. It'll be fun. I've been at the hospital for four months and you've not been on a date once."

"I've been busy. With surgery." Callie waved her hand around airily, "And stuff."

"With surgery and drinking on Marks couch and watching day time TV on your days off."

"You make my life sound sad."

"I make your life sound how it is." Teddy winked at her.

Callie conceded, "Okay, yes, my life has been a bit, slow, lately. I'm going on the stupid date. Not that Mark gave me much choice."

Teddy sipped her coffee, elbows resting on the table in front of her, "God, that was a good move. I kind of wish I'd thought of it."

Callie put her cup down, attempting to turn the tables on the conversation, "You've enjoyed a lot of his good moves lately." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down at Teddy.

Teddy rolled her eyes, "Child."

"Well, it's true."

Teddy grinned over the rim of her mug, "It is. He's...it's...wow."

Callie nodded, "I remember."

"So, tell me, why did you push me into his bed if you two had such a good thing going last year?"

"What?"

Teddy put her own cup down, "Well, if you two had such a good arrangement, why not pick it up again?"

Callie sipped her coffee, glancing outside to watch people with umbrella's racing through the down pour.

"Marks...Marks my best friend. He's good, yes, and would have been an easy distraction." Callie actually considered it, trying to work out how best to answer. "You know, it didn't even cross my mind? He was with Lexie and then he was heart broken and we were drinking buddies. I don't know."

She shrugged.

Teddy nodded, "I suppose the fact that it didn't even occur to you says a lot. I'm not complaining." She winked.

"So...you see it becoming anything serious?"

Teddy made a face, "God, no. I just want some fun. This Owen stuff is full of emotion and it's draining. Mark just makes everything...go away."

"Multiple orgasms will do that to you."

"Seriously, where did he learn that?!"

Callie laughed, "Would it shock you if I told you I've had better?"

Teddy's mouth dropped open, "Better? How do you walk?"

Callie shrugged, grinning, sipping her coffee.

"Was it the Arizona chick?"

Callie shrugged again, her grin giving away the answer.

"God, no wonder you don't want to date again."

"Mhmm."

"Don't you dare think that telling me that will make me say 'forget the date'!"

Callie rolled her eyes, leaning back in the chair, her hand wrapped around the warmth of her mug, "I'm not bailing on the date. Back on the horse, and all that." She rolled her eyes.

"It's that or never get laid again."

Callie swallowed, "It's been six months. That feels like a freaking life time."

Teddy almost dropped her cup, milk sloshing over the sides, "Six _months_?!"

Callie looked around the café, half expecting everyone to be staring at them after Teddy's outburst, "It's not that long!"

"No, but if you don't act soon it'll end up being a year. Then two. Then three."

"True."

Teddy looked at her intently for a moment, "Are you waiting for Arizona?"

"What?"

Teddy raised her eyebrows at her, "Are you waiting? For Arizona?"

Callie put her cup down, trailing a finger over the rim and raising it to her mouth to suck off the foam. She considered the question for a minute.

"No. I'm not. I know it looks like I am, but it would be a stupid thing to do. There was talk that the contract may end up extending to the three year mark. She can never visit. I can't get over there. I'm not waiting."

"You sure?"

"Really, I'm not. Three years is a long time, who knows what will happen in that time to either of us? People we'll meet, how we'll change. I just..."

Teddy sat back, giving her the time to speak.

"We ended well. There's no real anger or thinking 'we didn't work because'...it's hard to move on from. And I am moving on from it. Have, moved on, I think. It's just a slower process than other break ups."

Teddy nodded her understanding, "I get that. I think it's why Owen is so hard for me to give up on. We never got our chance, even though we both wanted it-it has potential to be incredible. How do you let go of that?"

"Exactly." Callie leant back in her chair and crossed her arms, "Even if Arizona made if back over, which may happen once or twice in the few years...well, that'd be the problem. It'd only be once, maybe twice. We can't be together like that, and we can't wait."

"At least if she did you could get laid."

"Are you encouraging me to wait for that opportunity?"

"God, no! Go on your date."

Callie laughed, "I will."

Teddy sipped her coffee, draining the last of it, "Well, we have shitty love lives. At least you have hot hair."

Callie grinned, "And you have amazing orgasms."

"And you have a date."

"That I do."

####

Callie took a deep breath, jumping out of the cab and racing into the restaurant. Shaking water off her arms, she stood in the entrance, glancing around to see Jaime seated at the bar.

The womans face split into an easy grin as she caught sit of Callie standing awkwardly in the doorway. She grabbed her crutches and swung her way over.

"Hey, beautiful."

Callie smiled at her, "Hey. I think your surgeon advised lots of elevation."

God, she was lame. Callie was sure she'd used to be good at this.

Jaime laughed, "I was also told that at three days it was okay to move around a bit more. She winked at Callie, her tone playful.

"Shall we get a table?"

Jaime nodded, "Lets."

As the seated themselves, Jaime looked at her seriously for a minute, "Now, I just need to put something out there."

Callie looked apprehensive, "Uh, yeah?"

"I'm on crutches. So about eighty percent of my smoothness has been replaced with zero co-ordination. My moves are not what they usually are." Jaime grinned, "Just want you to take that into consideration."

Callie laughed, "So, you'd like me to adjust your score?"

"If you wouldn't mind, thanks."

The night passed easily, the conversation flowed. They had a glass of wine each, Jaime unable to have more thanks to the pain killers she was on.

"My surgeon insisted I don't be macho and skip meds." She'd laughed.

Jaime was a class A flirt, no issues in doling out compliments and winks. She laughed easily and struck Callie as easy going, friendly and someone you'd enjoy being around. They each ordered a desert they wanted and swapped them half way through. Callie found she genuinely enjoyed her company.

When it came to the bill, Jaime tried to grab it but Callie got there first, "After the huge bill you'll get from the hospital, you'll be glad I got to it." She joked, winking at the smaller girl.

Maybe she was better at all of this then she thought.

Jaime smiled, "Worth it, considering where it got me."

Callie raised her eyebrows. Damn, she was good. Mark would be nodding, impressed, if he had've heard half of Jaime's lines.

The stood, Jaime gathering her crutches to her and indicating with one of them that Callie should walk out first.

"See, I'm gentlemanly even when I'm disabled."

Callie shook her head, laughing as she pulled on her jacket and walking out of the restaurant. The rain had let up for a minute, the air damp and cool. They stood side by side as they waited for a cab to turn up. One pulled up almost instantly.

Callie indicated to it, "You take this one."

Jaime shook her head, "Hell no, I'm staying gentlemanly. You first."

"I said it first, you go."

Callie opened the door for her, keeping a hand on it as she waited, eyebrows raised.

Jaime rolled her eyes, throwing her crutches on the back seat, pivoting on one foot to face Callie, holding on to the open door with one hand, hers resting next to Callie's.

Standing a foot apart, Jaime smiled at her, "I had a great time."

Callie returned the smile, "I did, too."

Jaime looked up at her front under her lashes coyly, "Maybe we could do it again, soon?"

"I'd like that." And she meant it.

Jaime reached her free hand forward, taking a hold of Callie's jacket and tugging her towards her gently. Callie smiled, stepping closer. Jaime's hand raised up to behind her neck. She went up on her tip toe, holding the door and Callie for balance. She paused an inch away from Callie's face, eyes looking searchingly into her own.

Callie's eyes fluttered shut and she felt Jaime press her lips gently to her own. Jaime pulled back slightly before kissing her again. Callie returned the gentle kiss, her hand resting on Jaimes hip.

Jaime pulled back, smiling softly.

"That hospital bill really will be wroth it."

Callie laughed.

"Call me?"

Callie nodded.

Jaime hopped her way backwards, half falling, half sitting in the back seat. She held a hand on the door handle, looking up at Callie.

"That's one of the moves you need to adjust the score for."

Grinning, Callie stepped back as Jaime pulled the door shut. The cab pulled away.

Callie felt her grin fade. Another taxi pulled up almost instantly and she breathed a sigh of relief as she slid into the backseat as the rain started to pour again.

"Good timing."

Callie laughed at the drivers words, "You're a God send."

"Where to?"

Callie gave the address and settled back in her seat.

She had had a really good night. It had been easy, fun. Callie brushed her finger tips against her lips.

She hadn't felt sparks.

The kiss had been nice. Her heart had sped up slightly, she'd enjoyed it.

It just...she wasn't sure of how attracted she was to the woman.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Teddy.

_So...are you naked and in her apartment?_

Callie rolled her eyes.

_On my way home, she was very gentlemanly. _

_Boring ;). Great night?_

_It was nice._

They pulled up outside Callie's apartment and she paid the driver, thanking him as she climbed out.

She looked back to her phone.

_Nice!?_

_It was fun. I don't know. We'll see._

The elevator arrived quickly. She walked in, again shaking water off her jacket, and hit the number for her floor. Her phone buzzed just before the door opened. Looking down, she smirked as she read it, walking forward into her hallway.

_Mark said to tell you that the times you saw her in the hospital count as dates and that means this was date 5, which is way past date 3. He said you know what that means. I hit him for you._

Callie actually laughed out loud; she dropped her phone in her bag and started hunting for her keys, looking up as she pulled them out.

And she stopped dead.

There, slowly standing up from where she'd been seated leaning against her door, was Arizona.

Her mouth dropped open.

Arizona smiled softly at her. She looked exhausted.

"Hey."

Callie swallowed, "Uh, hey."

"I, my dad. He had a heart attack. I got the call five days ago and flew straight over." Arizona fidgeted where she stood, her eyes wide, "He's okay; now, he's okay _now_. I could only leave the clinic for a few days. I fly back tomorrow. They said they only had a flight to go back that connected through Seattle. So, um, here I am. I was going to go to a hotel, because I leave tomorrow at noon." Arizona closed her mouth, her lips pressing together as if to physically shut off her rambling.

She tilted her head, looking at Callie for a minute.

"You cut your hair." She smiled again, "It looks really pretty."

####


	14. Chapter 14A

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **M ya'll. Everyone makes silly choices ;)  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Wow. So many amazing reviews. Thanks everyone :) And sorry to the Guest that said there was too much Callie in the last update-but otherwise I couldn't have had the ending to the chapter I wanted ;).  
Some will like me. Some will hate me. I hope you enjoy either way ;) Fourteen will be in two parts.

**Chapter Fourteen A  
Dream-State**

Callie blinked.

Arizona kept looking at her with her head tilted, her eyes soft.

Callie blinked again, "Um. Thanks?"

Arizona smiled softly.

Callie cleared your throat, taking a step forward and then standing still again, "Your Dad's okay? He's going to be okay?"

The same exhausted look over took Arizona's face, "Yeah. He's okay now. He'll be home in a couple of days. We were lucky."

Callie nodded, "Good." She looked at Arizona for a second, "Have you slept in that time?"

"Not really," Arizona laughed then, her face splitting into a smile, "Is that your way of telling me I look like crap?"

Callie smiled, shaking her head, "You never look like crap. You look tired. Never like crap."

Both the smiles faded as they looked at each other intently.

Callie finally took another step forward, closing the gap between them, "Come here."

Arizona fell into her embrace, her face burying into Callie's neck and arms curling around her waist, fingers biting into her jacket. Callie felt her let out a long breath against her skin, and she wrapped her arms around Arizona, one hand running down her hair, feeling the extra length she'd acquired in six months.

They stood, wrapped around each other, Arizona soaking up comfort Callie had the sneaking suspicion she was desperate for but would never really request.

"Wanna go inside?"

Arizona nodded against her neck; she made no move to step backwards. Callie chuckled and pulled back slightly, her cheek resting against Arizona's, the soft skin grazing against each other.

"Inside?" Arizona's breath washed over the sensitive skin on her cheek. She held back a shudder.

How could Arizona breathe on her cheek and bring forth shudders, but a kiss from a hotty date just felt...nice?

Callie pulled back slightly again, the corner of their mouths now resting against each other. Neither made a move to turn towards each other, or away. They were almost playing with each other, breath practically mingling together. Callie felt Arizona smile, and she curled her lips in response. A kiss that wasn't a kiss.

Callie gave a slight laugh and pulled back completely, bringing her hands to rest on Arizona's forearms that now rested on her waist.

"Come on, before Mark walks out here and has an aneurysm."

Arizona grinned as Callie moved away, letting them into the apartment. She walked through, Callie closing the door behind them. She pulled her jacket off, putting the small bag she had with her down next to the couch. Both women dropped their jackets over the back of the bar chairs. They stood, both with a hand resting on their jacket, a foot of air separating them.

Arizona brought her hand up, her fingers playing with the ends of Callie's hair.

"I really do like it." She smiled, quirking her eyebrows, "It's a little bit edgy. Bad ass, even."

Callie grinned, "That's what I was going for." She raised her hand, fingers curling over Arizona's, pressing their joined hands against her neck, "Remind me to show you photos of what Cristina did to it to make me have to go this short."

"You let Cristina cut your hair!?"

Callie laughed, "Yeah, not my smartest move." She licked her lips, tearing her eyes from Arizona's, "Wine?"

Arizona nodded, dropping her hand. She slid onto the bar stool with her jacket draped over it, "Yes, please."

Callie walked around the kitchen bench, reaching into the fridge to pull out a fresh bottle of white and grabbing a bottle of red from the counter for herself.

Arizona watched her as she found glasses and started pouring, "You still have white wine in the fridge? You only drink red and Cristina only touches tequila. Or has she grown up?"

Callie laughed, sliding a full glass of white over to the blonde, "As if that would ever happen. No, Teddy likes white. We drink wine more often than is probably appropriate."

"She sounds nice, from your emails," Arizona took a sip of her wine, her eyes closing as she savoured the taste. There was nothing like the wine over here.

"She's awesome."

Arizona quirked her eyebrows at her, "Nice to see I rubbed off on you in a lasting way?"

Callie's face flushed red and her eyes grew big, "Huh?"

Arizona looked confused, then her whole face flushed as well, "No! Not rubbed off like-I, I mean you said awesome. You used to tease me for saying that. Then you started to, and still do and-"

Callie cracked up. She leant onto the bench, resting on her elbows as she sipped her wine opposite Arizona. Still laughing, she took a sip of wine.

Arizona rolled her eyes and laughed as well, taking a long sip, "Well. Now my foot is firmly in my mouth. Great."

Callie, still giggling, raised her eyebrows, "Awesome, even."

It set off a fresh wave of laughter.

Callie laughed into her wine glass as she took a sip, Arizona mirroring her movements.

"You flew in five days ago to your parents?"

Arizona nodded, "More like four, after the flight. I got the call and left as soon as I could. I'm lucky to have a good team that could cover me."

"Did he need surgery?"

Arizona nodded, "He has a pacemaker now. He finds the whole thing very insulting. He said it means he's old."

Callie laughed, dipping her finger into her wine and dragging it along the rim, making it hum, "I'm glad he's okay." She said it softly, looking up at Arizona.

"Me too." Arizona returned the smile.

"You fly out tomorrow?" Callie looked back down to her wine glass.

"Noon."

Callie nodded, picking up her wine glass, she walked back around the bench, sliding in to the stool next to Arizona. She sipped her wine before putting it down in front of her.

"Not even going to bother putting the bottles away?" Arizona smiled.

"They way I remember us drinking wine, I figured there was no point."

"Good call." Arizona swiveled in her seat to face Callie, their knees almost touching but not. She took a long sip and breathed a happy sigh, "God, that's good."

"You turn into an alcoholic over there?"

Arizona grinned, "Wine is imported-it's expensive. I generally drink beer, and sometimes spirits. When I have time to drink at all."

"It crazy busy?"

Arizona nodded, "It was. It's starting to settle now, a routine is happening." She played with the base of her wine glass, "The first four months were just insane. There's so many kids, so much we want to do."

Callie smiled softly at her, "And you're getting to do it."

Arizona couldn't stop the grin that over took her lips, "I am. The crew over there is amazing, the kids, God, they're so thankful. And the parents. The surgeries are things that are a given here, but over there? They never would have even gotten to see a paediatric surgeon. They need their bodies, you know? Their income is based on manual labour. We're piecing these kids back together and changing their lives." Arizona's face was lit up, her words tumbling out, almost breathless.

Callie grinned, nodding as Arizona spoke. This was why she'd gone. This was why they were sitting across from each other six months after the last time they'd gotten to, with only a night in front of them. Because it made Arizona's face look like _that._

Arizona caught her eye, "What?"

"What, what?"

"Why are you looking like that?"

Callie raised her wine to her lips, "Because, you're amazing."

Arizona shook her head, "I'm not. This grant is amazing."

Callie put her glass down, leaning forward to rest her hand on Arizona's knee, "This grant would've gone to some stuffy research guy in Sweden if _you_ hadn't applied to put all this in motion. You," Callie squeezed her thigh, "Are amazing." She tilted her head, "Awesome."

Arizona smiled. She resisted the urge to shake her head. She put her own wine glass back down, resting her hand over the top of Callies. They hovered, their heads inches apart. Arizona looked at their hands over the top of her thigh and then back up to Callie. Callie looked at her intently, her eyes dark.

Arizona went to speak, to explain herself. To try and explain why she had thought it would be a good idea to show up after six months of forcing themselves to accept they were over, when once she got on the plane tomorrow nothing would be different. After Arizona insisted Callie not wait, and that she move on.

Callie leant forward, cutting off any words she was trying to form. Her lips pressed against hers and to be honest, any words Arizona had ever formed flew out of her head. Callie was warm and soft and as she flicked her tongue against Arizona's bottom lip she almost felt like she'd come undone. Her lips parted and she couldn't stop the groan as Callie's tongue slid against her own.

Six months was a long time.

The kiss was endless, almost desperate. Callies hand braced on Arizona's thigh, her other hand cupping her cheek, thumb brushing against her skin. Arizona's hands wrapped in Callies short hair, curls gripped between her fingertips.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless and aching, Arizona could feel her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest. They rested their foreheads together, breath mingling between them as they breathed rapidly. They both gave a soft laugh at the intensity of it all, hands still clinging to each other.

Arizona shook her head, forehead still against Callie, "I didn't come here expecting-"

"I know." Callie leant forward, pressing a kiss to her lips once more. It was supposed to be soft, reassuring.

It instantly turned frenetic, electric. They stood as one, their lips not leaving the others. Callie tugged her backwards and they moved fast, pushing and pulling each other towards Callie's bedroom. Shirts were tugged off, sighs were loud as skin pressed against skin, Arizona's bra left somewhere in the hallway. Arizona kicked her shoes off, Callie doing the same as she was pressed against her bedroom door frame, Arizona's hand running over her stomach and the other pushed up under her bra, cupping soft skin, thumb grazing over her nipple. Callie buried her hands in Arizona's hair, holding her mouth to hers as their kisses turned to all tongues and teeth.

Arizona dropped her hands, tugging at her own pants and underwear and pushing them down as far she could without breaking the kiss, kicking them off in an uncoordinated manner when she couldn't go any further. She raised her hands to Callies, still wrapped in her hair, pulling them down to Callies pants before letting them go and grazing one hand up to cling to her neck, the other undoing Callies bra and pulling it off, her hand returning to Callie's breast, fingertips rolling her nipple between them.

Callie got the hint and repeated Arizona's movements, getting her pants off with her hands and then kicking them off the rest of the way. She pushed Arizona backwards, still stepping out of her pants, pushing her towards the bed.

Callie tripped. One foot out of her black jeans, the other still stuck in them, she tripped and they fell towards the bed, laughing as they landed entangled. Callie lay on top of Arizona and she managed to kick her foot free.

Arizona was smiling, dimples out, one hand reaching up to push short curls behind Callie's ear, "Smooth."

Callie grinned, "You know me." She leant down, kissing her once, "Always smooth."

Arizona wrapped a leg around Callie's hip, her hand pulled Callie back to her lips, "We're naked."

Callie groaned as she kissed her, feeling Arizona thrust her hips forward, her centre pressing against her own.

Somehow, Arizona flipped them, Callie never knowing how someone so tiny had so much strength. She ran her hand down Callie's side to her hip, running up to tug at Callie's thigh. Callie obliged, wrapping her legs around her. They both groaned as Arizona's centre pressed against Callie's heat. Arizona rocked her hips, pushing herself against Callie again.

She trailed her lips down Callie's neck, sucking at the spot behind her ear that drove her crazy, "Callie," she groaned, as she flicked her tongue against her skin while she rocked her hips again, "I can feel how wet you are."

Arizona's teeth bit down her neck and Callie moaned, her nails dragging down Arizona's back to bite into her ass cheeks, pressing her down and forcing her to press harder against her.

"Arizona." Her name came out in a breath and Arizona thrust her hips forward, urged on by the pressure of Callie's hands, building a rhythm with her hips. She ducked her head down, flicking her tongue against Callie's already taut nipple before wrapping her lips around it, bathing it with her tongue, her teeth grazing against it. Callie bucked her hips up, her finger nails biting down harder at the contact. She groaned, one hand dragging her nails up Arizona's back before returning to her ass. Her hips rolled in time to Arizona's thrusting, both women breathless. Arizona was supporting her weight, one elbow pressed into the bed alongside Callie's body, the other hand grasping the breast her mouth wasn't wrapped around.

Spread like this beneath Arizona, her wet centre pressing against her open core, Callie felt her self starting to lose it. Arizona's thrusting was rhythmic, Callie rolling her hips up to meet her thrust for thrust. The slid over each other, covered in each others wetness, and as the thought occurred to her that some of the wetness Callie felt on her was Arizona's, she groaned loudly, her hands pressing flat against Arizona's ass, driving her on.

Their breathing sped up, both moving their hips faster. Little grunts were escaping Arizona's lips around the nipple in her mouth as she thrust harder. She tore her mouth away and pushed up, her mouth crashing against Callie's, no gentleness to their kissing. Her elbow dug harder into the mattress and her hand slid down Callie's side, sliding between the bed and Callies ass, her own fingers digging into her skin as she clung on.

Callie pushed her legs further apart, trying to gain as much contact from Arizona's wild thrusting as she could. A repeat of "Oh, God" was falling out of her mouth as Arizona dropped her head to the crook of Callie's neck, lips pressed blindly to her skin. She could feel Arizona dragging her clit over her own, feel how insanely wet they both were. Their hips grew frantic, rhythm lost, Callie's heel's moving against the sheets as she dug them into the mattress. The moved together, "Oh, God" all Callie able to articulate, lost to the sensation of Arizona pressed against her. The grunting in her ear was sending waves of arousal straight to her centre and as she felt them gliding over each other, she gripped Arizona tighter, forcing her harder against her.

"Callie." Arizona breathed her name into her ear, almost growled it, and it was all it took for Callie to fall over the edge, her hands clenching into Arizona's skin, fingernails biting as it rolled over her. The groan that left her lips was loud, drawn out as she bucked her hips, pressing them up, no longer rolling them, as Arizona's continued to thrust into her wildly. Her back arched and her ass clenched, her toes dug into the mattress as her entire body fell into the orgasm that rocked over her.

She felt teeth bite into her shoulder as Arizona pressed her hips forward a final time, a breathless "fuck" reached her ear and she felt Arizona go completely rigid on top of her. Hands and nails and teeth were everywhere.

Arizona went limp, falling into her, Callie's arms wrapped loosely around her waist. Their breathing was erratic, their skin covered in sweat. She felt Arizona nuzzle into her neck, her hair sweaty where it clung to her skin. She could feel the blonde's heart racing against her chest. Arizona made as if to roll her weight off her, and Callie tightened her arms around her waist.

"'M heavy." Arizona spoke into her neck.

Callie turned her head to press against Arizona's, "Don't move."

Arizona tilted her head, eyes dark as they looked into Callies. She tilted further and pressed her lips to Callie's, their mouths moving languidly together. She did shift slightly, sliding one thigh to the outside of Callie's, her hip now on the bed, their legs tangled, bodies somehow pressed even closer together.

Arizona trailed her lips down Callie's jaw to her neck, pressing them against her pulse point once before relaxing into Callie. Callie 'hmm'd' softly, revelling in the feeling of Arizona, wet and warm, pressed against her thigh, the feeling of Arizona pressed against her own. Not an inch of them was separated. Her arm was now wrapped around Arizona's back, her hand gripping her shoulder loosely and holding her against her, the other resting lightly on her hip. Arizona had one hand trailing slowly from her collar bone, along her shoulder and down her arm and back up again.

Callie turned her head, burying her face in Arizona's hair. She smelt of sweat, of sex.

"I did not expect this tonight." Callie murmured against her hair.

Arizona flicked her tongue out against Callie's neck, the taste of salt spreading across her tongue. She flattened her tongue and did it again before pressing her lips to her neck.

"Mm?" She pressed her lips to her neck again, "What were you doing tonight?"

####


	15. Chapter 14B

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **M ya'll. Everyone makes silly choices ;). Seriously, it's M. It's been six months for these two.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Some will like me. Some will hate me. I hope you enjoy either way ;). Part Two! Thanks for the reviews, you guys kick ass. Seriously, the warm fuzzies keep coming. I loved the use of the word superlative!

I had this ready with Part A...I was going to be nice and put it straight up before I went on a three day camping trip...but then I decided to drag it out for once ;).

Each ## indicates a jump of a few hours in time. This chapter is written in little snapshots. I know this doesn't always read well, so sorry to those it annoys, it's the best way I could figure out to write this chapter. Hope you enjoy :) *hides*

**Chapter Fourteen B  
Dream-State**

Callie couldn't help it. She tensed. Then she thought quickly.

"Well, when you saw me, I was on my way to eat ice cream on the couch and probably drink the wine I opened tonight."

"Should I buy you a cat?"

Callie gave a strangled attempt at a laugh.

"What was that horrible noise you just made?" Arizona sat up slightly, raising up on her elbow, head resting on her hand to peer down at Callie who looked like a deer caught in headlights, "And why do you look like that?"

The sweat was still cooling on their skin, Callie's face still flushed. It reddened further and she threw a hand out to the side, grabbed a pillow and pulled it over her head.

Arizona had no idea what just happened.

"Ah-Callie?"

She looked down at the pillow.

A muffled noise came out.

"You'll have to repeat that."

Callie lifted the pillow an inch off of her face.

"I was on a date."

She pulled the pillow back down over her head. She waited for the feeling of Arizona pulling off her, waited for her to go away. They were still wrapped around each other, and she braced her self for the feeling of cool air hitting her skin.

It didn't come.

She slowly, very slowly, raised the pillow up to look at Arizona.

Who was still resting her head on her hands, an amused look on her face. The look suddenly turned horrified as a thought flickered across Arizona's brain.

"Yeah, that's the look I was more expecting."

And then Arizona said something Callie wasn't expecting.

"Oh, God. Are you seeing someone? Did I just make you cheat?!"

Callie's mouth dropped open, "_That's _what you're concerned about?" She threw the pillow to the side, ignoring it as it rolled off the bed onto the floor. She had plenty more.

"Did I?"

"Okay, one: you didn't _make _me do anything. I don't think 'Oh, God' said a thousand times in the manner I just did translates into 'please stop.'" Arizona was still looking horrified, "And two: no, you didn't. I'm not seeing someone."

Arizona visibly relaxed, the horrified look settling into a more curious look.

She looked down at her hand, spread across Callie's sternum, "So...you had a date tonight?"

Callie bit her lip, looking searchingly at Arizona, who didn't look up, "Yeah."

Arizona nodded, looking up finally, "That's good."

They stared at each other for a minute.

Callie shook her head, "This is insane."

Arizona nodded again. "It is."

"I don't know how you're supposed to react to that."

Arizona raised her eyebrows, still nodding, "I think I'm meant to be stoic, and not weird. You're allowed to be dating. It's good that you are."

Callie swallowed, her eyebrows scrunching together, "It is?"

"I told you to move on. I meant it. You meant it when you said it to me. Neither of us had any idea I'd be back, and that's a good thing." Arizona gave a half shrug, "It stopped either of us waiting."

Callie nodded, "True."

Arizona dropped her head onto Callie's shoulder, "I've kind of ruined it."

Now Callie was confused, "Ruined what?"

"You're dating. And stuff. I rock up six months on for one night, sleep with you, then fly back tomorrow. I'm like the chick that just won't let you move on."

Callie chuckled, her hand smoothing the back of Arizona's hair, "Is that why you showed up on my doorstep? To check up on me and make me cling to the idea of us?"

Arizona wrenched back up, her eyes wide, "God, no! I didn't want to do that at all. I didn't even know I was going to come here until I got in the cab and gave your address."

Callie thought back to the way Arizona had clung to her in the hallway, the exhausted look on her face as she'd said her Dad had had a heart attack.

Callie brushed Arizona's hair behind her ears, "I'm a big girl, Arizona. I know you leave tomorrow."

They looked intently at each other for a minute, blue eyes looking searchingly into brown ones, "It was pretty selfish of me."

Callie shrugged, "I'm not complaining."

Arizona couldn't help the grin, "That was pretty awesome."

Callie nodded, "That's a way to explain it, for sure."

"So...was your date hot?"

Callie grabbed a spare pillow, this time hitting Arizona in the head with it.  
#######

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Arizona asked the question breathlessly. Callie's lips were on her stomach for the second time in an hour, her tongue and lips moving tortuously slowly over her skin.

Callie's head started moving up her body, "Nope." Her tongue flicked out just under Arizona's breast.

Arizona buried her hands in Callie's hair gently, "You don't start stupidly early?"

"I start nights tomorrow..." Callie flicked her eyes to the clock. One am. "Um, tonight I mean." She traced her tongue around the creamy white skin of Arizona's breast.

"So...it's a good thing if you stay up all night? Means you can get some sleep during the day?"

Callie nodded as she ran the flat of her tongue over Arizona's nipple, grinning as she heard the woman hiss.

"Yup."

Arizona shut up as she felt the lips wrap around her nipple and a hand trail up her thigh.

######

Callie wandered around the room, gloriously naked, lighting the odd candle.

Arizona lay on her stomach in the middle of the bed, her arms folded, chin resting on her hands as she watched her. Her ankles were crossed in the air, knees bent.

"Hows Mark?"

Callie looked over to her, "Um. He's okay." She lit a match, lighting the last candle, "He's doing better." She put it down and walked back over to the bed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her as she sat cross legged next to Arizona.

"Have you heard from Sloane?"

Callie shook her head, "Not since the night she left. She didn't even say good bye to him."

"The night you gave her cash?"

Callie smiled, realising Arizona was referring to the last email she had sent, "Yeah. I don't think she'll be back."

"Sucks for Mark."

"Lexie _and_ Sloane. It kind of hit him hard."

"But he's doing better?"

Callie grinned, moving the pillow and lying along side Arizona, hooking her leg over her lower back, head resting in her hand, looking down at her. "Your suggestion worked." Callie slid a hand onto Arizona's back, running circles on the soft skin.

"Hmm?"

"Teddy and Mark. And getting them drunk."

Arizona grinned, looking delighted, "It did?"

"Yup. I got 'em drunk, made a hint about it and bam, they left together."

Callie leant forward, pressing a kiss to Arizona's shoulder.

"When was this?"

"Um, three or four days ago?"

"And they're still sleeping together?"

Callie nodded.

"Wow. That's commitment for Mark."

Callie smiled against Arizona's shoulder, biting it gently, "Be nice. He's all improved since Lexie. Rather, because of Lexie."

Arizona laughed softly, "True. Maybe his abs aren't where his soul should be. Do you think they'll get back together?"

Callie dropped her head down next to Arizona's, tightening her leg over her back. She thought about the question for a moment, their heads inches apart, "I actually don't know. Mark was so hurt. And, so was Lexie. I hope they do. They actually worked, somehow."

Arizona nodded, "They did. I'd almost say Lexie was too mature for Mark." Her voice was playful, but Callie still leant forward and bit her shoulder again.

"Ow! Kidding...Kind of."

######

Callie was gripping the bed head with one hand, her nails biting into the wood. The other hand was flat to the wall in front of her, her forehead pressed into it. Arizona's hand gripped her breast roughly, her arm wrapped around her tightly and holding her against Arizona's front.

Callie felt Arizona nudge her legs further apart with her knee as she slipped a third finger to the two already thrusting into her from behind.

On her knees like this, she was sure she was going to come undone. This woman would be absolute death of her.

Her breath was coming out in grunts in time with the pumping of Arizona's fingers, the blonde's lips pressed against the back of her neck. Callie's hips were moving of their own accord and she couldn't stop anything right now if she had to.

Pushing back off the wall to lean further into Arizona, she felt her slip her hand out and groaned in protest, twisting her head around to find out why she'd stopped.

She didn't get a chance. Arizona pulled her backwards so she was pulled tighter into her front, Callie now resting back on her heels, practically sitting between Arizona's legs. Her hand still gripped the bed head, and Callie felt the hand that had fucked her from behind slide down her stomach and slip into her.

She groaned again, her head still turned to the side. Arizona pressed her lips against her cheek, her forehead pressed hard against Callie's temple. Their mouths inches apart, unable to reach each other on the angle, Arizona pushed a third finger up and into her again, the heel of her hand grinding against her clit. Callies free hand flew up behind her to cup the back of Arizona's head, her finger tips digging into her scalp and both women groaned against each others mouth.

"You are so fucking hot, Callie."

Her breath was warm against her, their breathing erratic. Callie could swear the whole world was going to explode with her.

######

Callie was languidly running her fingers over the back of Arizona's hand, and the steady sensation was making Arizona feel hypnotised.

Callie kissed the stomach under her head, running her fingertips up Arizona's wrist and back to the end of her fingers, Arizona's hand resting on her own sternum. She looked up and smirked at the look on Arizona's face.

Arizona felt the smirk against her skin and blinked, looking down at the woman sprawled out on her lower half, "Shh. I'm in a sex coma."

Callie chuckled, "Obviously."

They smiled at each other.

Arizona spoke softly, "I really am glad you're dating."

Callie closed her eyes and pressed her head into Arizona's stomach, "Ugh. No talking anymore."

"I am, though."

Callie sighed, opening her eyes, "Arizona, even if I wasn't dating, I was being a good girl. I wasn't waiting."

"I know. I just...you're awesome, Callie. People should get a chance to see that."

Callie rolled her eyes.

"I just...I'm glad. I have to be in the airport in, like," She looked across at the clock, " Five hours. I'm glad that me coming here hopefully doesn't mean screwing with both our heads."

Callie looked at her intently.

Arizona swallowed heavily.

Callie pushed up the bed, hovering over Arizona, maintaining the intense eye contact. She lowered her lips down slowly, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Arizona," She pulled back, leaning on her hand and looking down at her as she spoke, "We're awesome. That's a fact. And you'll leave my place in, like, four hours to get to the airport on time. And that's okay." She tilted her head to the side, "It sucks, but it's okay. Whether or not this," She gestured between them with her hand before letting it fall over Arizona's breast, "Happened tonight, we were still awesome six months ago. We were awesome tonight. We'd be awesome in six months. Except, we can't be. Because you live in another country."

Arizona nodded.

Callie continued, "It may screw with our heads a little. But so what? We've spent the last six months getting to be okay with what's happened. We'll get there again."

She looked into Arizona's eyes, her gaze intense, "And yes," Callies voice was rough, "It really, really sucks."

Arizona swallowed past a lump in her throat and brought her hands up, wrapping them around the back of Callies head and pulling her down, her lips seeking hers. They kissed hungrily, tongues rough, lips bruising. Callie bit at Arizona's bottom lip, sliding her thigh in between hers and pressing up. The both groaned at the contact, their need limitless.

######

"We could be sex friends."

Callie turned her head on the pillow, blinking stupidly at Arizona. "Huh?"

"We could be sex friends, who have sex when on the same continent? If both free and in the same area code, it's on."

Arizona rolled on her side, her head resting on Callie's chest, leg hooked over her hips. Callie ran her hand from her knee, up her thigh and brought it to rest on her hip. She smiled to herself as she dipped her hand down, running through trim curls to the wetness that had overtaken both of them.

Arizona drew in a sharp breath, turning her head into the softness of Callies breast. Callie traced her fingers over wet folds, lightly grazing her clit before sliding back down. Arizona's hips started to move on their on accord.

"Sex friends, hm?'

Arizona nodded against her chest, "Mhm." Her finger's flexed rhythmically where they gripped Callie's hip.

Callie talked on like she wasn't driving Arizona crazy with one finger tip, "When I'm in Africa, I regularly find myself thinking 'I need a sex buddy.'"

Arizona grinned against Callie's skin, moaning suddenly as Callie dipped her finger into her entrance before dragging it back up to her clit.

"And you're so regularly in the states now, it'll be a great arrangement." Callies voice was teasing, as were her fingers.

Arizona tilted her head up, a mock glare on her face, "Okay, it was a random idea."

Callie leant down, her lips hovering millimetres from the blondes. Her finger circled her clit before she slid down and up and into Arizona, curling two fingers against her. Arizona's eyes closed and her forehead dropped down onto Callie's breast.

"Hmm, when I'm drunk and alone, I could booty call you. Eighteen hours later you could rock up."

Arizona forced her head up again, trying to control her erratic breathing, her hips thrusting up into Callie's hand, "Okay. It was a _dumb_ idea."

Callie laughed, crushing her lips against hers.

######

"How did we manage to stay awake all night?" Callie's face was buried in her neck.

Arizona lay on her side, pressed flush against Callie, running a hand up and down her back. She shrugged, "All the sex? Pure endorphins? The amazing company?"

"Hm. That may of played a roll."

Callie pressed her lips to Arizona's collar bone.

"Do I dare ask the time?" She murmured.

She felt Arizona's fingertips switch to her nails, lightly scratching her back up and down. It felt amazing.

"I don't think you want to know."

"Before or after eight o'clock?"

Arizona cupped her fingers under Callie's chin, tilting her head up, "You don't want to know."

Callie made a face.

Arizona smiled, leaning down and kissing her chastely. She pulled back, "We have a little time."

Callie's face turned into a grin. Her hands came up to tangle in Arizona's hair, pulling her back down to her lips. Arizona's eyes fluttered closed as Callies lips pressed softly against her own. Her tongue ran slowly against her bottom lip and she parted her lips, her own tongue slipping out slightly to run against Callie's.

Her thumb traced patterns on Callies hip, slow circles to match their slow kisses.

She pulled back, eventually.

"Shower?"

Callie nodded, letting Arizona pull her up and out of the bed.

She grabbed towels as Arizona turned on the water and disappeared into the spray and steam. Callie slipped in behind her, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind before turning her around. They stood, Arizona's head buried into Callie's neck, the hot spray marking their skin.

Callie kissed her temple, "How are you still standing? You looked exhausted when you got here."

"I'm all out of whack, with the time difference. I've barely slept but my body is still pushing through. I'll catch up back home."

Callie nodded against her hair and neither acknowledged that Arizona had referred to Africa as home.

They took their time, the water starting to turn cold before they admitted defeat and left the shower. Arizona grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Callie, grabbing one for herself.

Callie smiled at her, "I'll get dressed in the other bathroom. I need to use the toilet anyway."

Arizona grinned, "Great, me too."

Callie disappeared, closing the door behind her. Arizona quickly dried off, ticking her way through the bathroom activities. She dashed out in her towel and grabbed the bag she'd bought in. Dressed for the plane, she brushed her teeth and braided her hair, preferring it off her face for the flight.

As she wandered back into the room, Callie was already sitting back in the middle of the bed, her pyjama shorts cut sexily short and simple oversized shirt adorable.

Callie's smile split into the grin that had first made Arizona notice her, her yes raking down Arizona's body and back up to meet her amused gaze.

"Keep looking at me like that, Calliope, and I'll miss my plane."

Callie's grin didn't fade, partly because Arizona had said her full name, and she kind of missed it, "You're wearing spray on jeans. And knee high boots. And your hair is in braids. You don't _want_ to make your plane."

Arizona rolled her eyes, wandering over to Callie's blinds. She turned the pole, making the blinds flicker closed. Tugging at the curtains, she drew them across the window, the room becoming dark the way a night shift sleeper needs it.

Arizona turned and sat down on the edge of the bed. Callie leant forward, resting her hand on her thigh. They smiled at each other. Arizona slipped her hand to the back of Callies neck, pulling her forward so their foreheads rested together.

"Hey."

Callie quirked her lips in a smile, "Hey."

Her hands came up to Arizona's hips, her fingers digging in to the skin. Arizona's hand clung to her neck.

They sat in silence, their breath mingling between them. The silence filled with everything they couldn't say six months ago, and everything that couldn't be said now.

Neither knew who leant forward first, but the next second they were kissing, lips brushing before pressing more urgently. Everything they couldn't say, they poured into that kiss.

Minutes past before Arizona broke away, their foreheads pressed together again, both breathless.

They looked into each other's eyes, their look intense. Arizona swallowed heavily.

They didn't say a word.

She stood up and grabbed her bag.

She looked back at Callie, dressed to sleep the day away, and both smiled softly at each other, sadly almost.

And then she was gone.

####


	16. Chapter 15

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **...glad you're all still reading after that ;). Thanks for the amazing feedback.  
I continue to mush the shows events together to time line it in my own way. What will happen, and when? Even I don't know...  
I know nothing about American candy. Don't judge ;)

**Chapter Fifteen  
Truth  
**

The alarm was loud.

Callie didn't lift her head off of the pillow, throwing her arm to the bed side table and fumbling around until her hand curled around her mobile. Turning her head to look at it she opened one fuzzy eye and slid her finger along the screen, effectively snoozing it.

Groaning loudly, she rolled on her stomach and pressed her face into the pillow next to her. She breathed in deeply, ready to let out another deep sigh, trying to resist waking up as much as possible. The sigh never left her lips as the air just puffed out, her eyes sliding open sleepily.

The smell of Arizona was everywhere. Again.

She grabbed the pillow that had been under her and pulled it over her head, trying to block everything out.

Now she was just completely surrounded with the scent of Arizona, and sex.

The sigh did leave her lips this time. She didn't move the pillow and instead decided to just take a moment and revel in the emo feelings it produced.

It all kind of felt like a dream.

Twelve hours of sex and conversation.

Of amazing sex and playful conversation.

It had been how it was right before Arizona had received the phone call that changed everything. With Arizona, it was just...easy. Fun, flirty and the sex blew her mind. There was no inhibitions with the two of them.

It was all a slightly fuzzy memory.

The look on Arizona's face as she'd talked about her Father's heart attack outside in the hallway. The way her fingers had clung to her jacket as they'd hugged. She was a hard woman to read, everything hidden behind a carefully dimpled smile. But she'd seen it, the fear. The need for comfort. And it was Callie she'd sought.

The way they'd both stared at each other after Callie had admitted to the date, neither sure what they were meant to say. Callie hadn't known how Arizona should react. And there'd been the smile on her face, the dimples out in force. Arizona hadn't known how she should react either, so she'd smiled, and teased.

The way Callie felt she'd come undone when she touched her. The feel of Arizona, the movement of her, Callie's name on her lips.

It was all so _them._

Her alarm sounded again, shrill and irritating. Callie groaned into the pillow again, finally admitting defeat and sat up, pulling the pillow over her head into her lap and hugging it to her chest. For some reason, sleeping through the day just never left your rested like a good nights sleep did. If anything, she felt more tired half the time. She grabbed her phone and silenced her alarm, seeing she had messages. She pulled her legs up and sat crossed legged, flicking through the messages.

Mark

_No sex with hot knee girl?  
What is wrong with you,  
Torres?! We need to have a  
conversation._

Teddy

I _didn't say it was technically  
date five, _he_ did, and I hit him,  
so why the radio silence? Oo,  
did you end up at her house  
after all!?_

Teddy

_Stop being asleep. I'm bored and  
want you to get to work. I finish at  
2000, wanna come in early, say  
1830 and I'll buy you a coffee? _

Teddy

_Oh! I could get you breakfast.  
Or is it dinner? Brinner?_

Teddy

_Really hope your phone is on  
silent. Otherwise you'll be coming  
in early to kill me for your lack of  
sleep, not for Brinner. Awkward._

Teddy.

_Thats right, I gave Brinner a  
capital 'B'._

Callie smirked. She tapped a quick reply to Teddy, telling her she'd see her at 1830 at the coffee cart, and that there would be no death, just Brinner and coffee. She opened the last message, causing her to groan and fall sideways on the bed, flopping down and throwing her phone away from her. Life was too complicated.

Jaime

_So I'm terrible at ignoring the  
dating rules, like waiting a few  
days to text. I had a great night last  
night. I hope this doesn't wake  
you. Save lots of lives tonight,  
and maybe we can do it again  
soon? :)_

####

Arizona's eyes opened, and she sat stock still for a minute, gauging where she was. The plane. She was on the plane on her way back home. Home now being Africa. She sat up straighter, looking around the dimmed lights of the cabin. Her watch told her she was ten hours into her flight.

Not normally one to sleep on planes, a small smile hovered on her lips. She was tired, and Callie was the reason she'd stayed awake all night, managing to get her body into the right time zone. Not that anything would really help the jet lag that would hit her. Six months in Africa, five days in the states, no real sleep that whole time, a whole night of sex: she was going to crash out completely when the flight landed.

She hadn't meant to go to Callies. She had been exhausted as she fell into the taxi, meaning to go to a hotel; something had made her say Callie's address. The part of her that was so exhausted her head swam, the tiny part of her that wanted to revolt against everything she'd said to Callie when she'd left six months ago, had won. The tiny part that needed someone to turn to after watching her Father, her strong, stoic, Colonel Father, in a hospital bed, looking pale and small. The part that missed Tim. The part that missed Callie.

She'd sat, leaning against Callie's door, waiting for her to get home, and Callie had been on a date.

She didn't care.

Arizona dropped her head back against the head rest, turning to stare out the window. That was a lie. Of course she cared. But she wasn't allowed to, so she schooled her expression and said it was a good thing. Which wasn't a lie. It was a good thing. She didn't expect Callie to wait. But it didn't mean it _felt_ good.

God, could it all feel more complicated.

Arizona closed her eyes and let the rumble of the engine beneath her lull her back to sleep.

Twelve hours of sex with Callie, and she felt like she was leaving six months ago all over again.

####

_Arizona,_

_So, over two months since she left and Little Sloan  
showed back up. At two am. In labour. And  
gave birth on Marks lounge room floor with Teddy  
as the OB. Teddy the Cardio surgeon. Everything went  
well, thankfully. Teddy apparently had assisted  
random births in Iraq in Evaq and refugee situations.  
That woman is full of surprises.  
Little Sloan gave the baby up for adoption-she seemed  
like she may keep it, which got Mark's hopes all built  
up again. But then she freaked out, couldn't feed  
him and almost dropped him in the bath and had  
a melt down. Mark saw it all and they gave the baby  
up. He's hurting, which is why I think he slept with  
Reede, effectively ending him and Teddy. _

_Seriously, it's like Days of Our Lives here._

How's your dad?

_Hope the tiny humans are awesome ;)_

_~Callie_

_PS My research? I just got my cartilage to stay  
solid! It didn't revert back to a puddle of goopy mess.  
Yay!_

####

It was raining.

Not like the rain in Seattle. Not the type that feels steady, heavy and causes the drains to rush a little. Not the type that blew mist and you barely felt touch your skin. Not the type that lasts all day and causes you to rush about with an umbrella from car to door ways and laugh how your socks got wet. Not the kind that causes the lawn to grow lush and stop the flowers from wilting, washing everything clean and bringing with it a stunning rainbow.

It was pouring. It was the kind of rain that could cause flash floods and landslides and Arizona was unsettled. This country got so dry: the drought, literally, a killer. Then, when it finally rains, it floods.

And now Arizona was stuck in the clinic.

It was eleven at night and she'd stayed late working on the HIV Outreach Program and now she wouldn't be going anywhere. There was no way she was doing the five minute walk to her bungalow. So she was sat at her desk, a wide window in front of her, watching the rain come down almost horizontally and admired the way the lightning lit up the scene.

The last time she'd experienced a storm was the night she got the phone call that brought her here. Her and Callie had avoided an inevitable conversation and instead lost themselves in each other. The sound of rain and thunder had mixed with Callie's moaning as lightning flashed patterns across her skin. She watched the lightning outside now, lighting up the rain fall and nothing else. It was falling so hard that even with the lightning, you couldn't see more than a metre in front of you. She leant back in her chair, resting her head back and staring. Thinking of that night made her ache for company, her fingers could almost feel Callie under them.

"This weather never ceases to amaze me."

Arizona almost jumped out of her skin. She spun around in her chair, her pony tail whipping her in the cheek. In the doorway stood Susan.

Arizona laughed, "Wow. I thought I was alone. If that wasn't obvious."

"Sorry!" Susan looked sheepish, "I stayed late in the other wing with one of the kids post op, and now I can't go anywhere." She indicated outside with her chin, where the rain somehow came down harder.

"Who were you with?"

Susan leant against the door frame, crossing her arms, "Ayanna."

"Hows her incision?"

"Looks great. She was just unsettled, she likes to be held."

Arizona nodded, leaning back in her high backed swivel chair again, "I sat in here with her yesterday, she squealed the house down each time I tried to put her down."

Susan grinned, "So you did paper work with a six month old on your lap?"

Arizona nodded, "Everyone else was busy." She smiled, "Her eyes suck you in."

Susan's face lit up, "Don't they! She's just gorgeous."

"She is. And she loves a cuddle."

"Do you have kids back home?"

Arizona shook her head adamantly, "No. God, no."

Susan laughed, "That was a definite no."

Arizona almost looked sheepish, "It was."

She kicked the spare office chair towards the dark haired woman, who sat on it just inside the room when it eventually wheeled its way towards her.

"So no kids for you?"

Arizona shook her head again, "No. No kids, and by no, I mean _yikes!_"

Susan laughed, "I want a bucket load of them." She tilted her head, looking at Arizona with an intrigued look on her face, "A world renowned pediatric surgeon? Who sat with a baby on her lap to stop her crying while she did paperwork. Doesn't want kids? Hard to believe."

Arizona shrugged, making no apologies, "I like my life. I like how I live it. There's not a lot I'd change."

Susan nodded, "Fair enough."

"My Mom is hoping I'll change my mind."

"Will you?"

"In her world I will. I doubt it, though."

Arizona pulled one foot up under her on the chair, settling back. There was a massive monsoon type thing going on outside and they were stuck. She may as well get comfortable.

Susan pulled out a packet from her deep scrub pockets. Arizona's eyes lit up, "Are-are they Twizzlers?"

Grinning, Susan held the packet out to Arizona, wheeling her chair further into the room with her feet. Arizona returned the grin, leaning forward to pull out a stick of the candy. She bit into it, chewing happily. They sat facing each other, knee's inches apart.

"How on Earth did you get Twizzlers?"

"There's an import shop in one of the towns I went to on one of my free days-they cost a stupid amount of money, but, well, they're Twizzlers. And it's been awhile."

Arizona grinned as she took another bite, "Well, I'm grateful you didn't resist. I love Twizzlers. Thanks."

"No worries. Buy me a drink some time and we'll call it even."

"You're on."

Arizona used the foot still on the floor to spin herself back and forth slowly, enjoying the candy. She was trying to eat slowly to make it last.

"How's your Dad?"

"Same as last time you asked, no real change." Arizona smiled, "Not much takes him down."

"Typical Marine."

Arizona nodded, "Yup." She cocked her head, "You an army brat, too?"

Susan nodded, "Long line of us. My Mom was a Marine nurse, it's how she met my Dad. Her Mom was a nurse, his father in the Marines. It goes on and on."

"You didn't want to go the combat way?"

Susan shrugged, "My sister and brother did. They're both stationed in Iraq at the moment. I was the kid that played with the medical kit, though."

"Didn't want to be a doctor?"

She shook her head, "I went into nursing because I liked the idea of extra patient contact, and the travel opportunities." She grinned, "I'm not good at being in one place too long."

"Yup, you're definitely an army brat."

"Through and through."

The rain raged outside, and soon, just as quick as it had started, it would stop. There'd be cleaning up to do, landslides to sort through and hopefully not too much devastation. But for now, the rain was falling, and Arizona had company.

And Twizzlers.

####

_Callie,_

_Wow. This year has not been kind to Mark. Buy him  
another beer for me, yeah? I almost miss the Days  
of Our Lives stuff-it kept things interesting. Note the  
'kind of', though._

_Your cartilage stayed solid!? Callie! Go you. When  
will we all be hearing about your Harper Avery, then?  
That's incredible-and they told you it wouldn't work.  
Amazing._

_Dads going well, thanks. He's been discharged  
from both Physio and OT services now, he's all  
rehabilitated. He'll be back to making Mom do 0600  
PT soon I'm sure._

_The tiny humans are keeping me busy. The immunisation  
program is still under the pump. I'm finally in the planning  
stages of the HIV program. I just ordered a bulk order  
of condoms...something I've never purchased one of,  
let alone thousands. Did you know they have ones  
with vibrators attached? I didn't order them, of course.  
But still...interesting fact of the day._

_Take care  
~Arizona._

####_._

"Another beer?"

Callie nodded, Mark wandering over to her fridge and pulling three out, "You too, Yang?"

Cristina shook her head, her eyes glued to the TV screen where she was trying to blow up the Zombie that was after Callie. Mark put the third beer back.

"Torres! Did you die again? God."

"I was thinking about beer!"

"There are zombies. No time for beer."

Callie hit pause and stared at Cristina, her mouth half open. Cristina looked at her sideways and sighed, rolling her eyes, "Okay. There's always time for beer, especially with Zombies."

Mark sat down, handing a beer to Callie and taking a sip of his own. Callie restarted the game and laughed delightedly as a Zombie took down Cristina, "Over confidence, I'm telling ya, it's a killer in a zombie attack."

Mark scoffed, "My turn! Let me show you how this apocalypse is done, Yang."

Cristina scowled and threw her controller to Mark, "Fine. Have fun spending half your time saving Callie's ass."

Her pager went off at her hip and Cristina looked down at it, "Oh. Good. It's Owen, in the pit. And his dark, 'I can't choose' place." She rolled her eyes and stood up, "And that's why I couldn't have beer."

Callie paused the game again, looking up, "Things still not good with you two?"

Cristina shrugged, "I'll see you later. Try not to ruin my stats."

Callie raised her eyebrows, "Tequila soon?"

"Definitely."

Callie hit start again as the door slammed behind Cristina.

Mark blew up a door, taking out three zombies and letting in a fresh flood of the undead to maim, "Whats up with Yang and Hunt? I thought they were good."

Callie shrugged, "You and Teddy are over."

He raised his eyebrows, his arms flying about as his thumbs slammed buttons, "God, you do suck at this. What do Teddy and I have to do with anything? We were never official."

"At least me dying on the floor brings the zombies to one location for you to kill." Callie hit pause, they both skulled their beer, then hit resume in one fluid motion, "You not being official is all that kept you and Teddy friends after you slept with Reed."

"Yeah, yeah."

Callie left it, they'd been over this already. She'd even slapped him upside the head. Hard. She chose, instead, to answer his question. "Well Teddy's single. So the weird thing with Teddy and Hunt has reared its head again. Apparently Teddy caught them in the stairwell yelling at each other about her. So they have some weird-DIE YOU STUPID DEAD THING-some weird triangle thing going."

Marks eyebrows flew up to his hair line, "Oh. That woulda been awkward. Torres, cover my ass when I run into the dark warehouse, would you?!"

"Sorry! I was beating off a rapid, dead dog. It took my shoe."

"Were you trying to inject it with the antivenom?"

"Maybe."

"That's meant to be for me incase I die! Which I'm going to do if you don't_ cover me._"

"Sorry! The dog looked all zombieish and evil, it wasn't right. It didn't work anyway and now I have no shoe."

Mark hit pause and grabbed his beer, Callie mimicking him as they both finished their bottles already. She looked down at her empty, "Another one before we take on that warehouse?"

Mark nodded, "Definitely."

Callie stood up and grabbed two beers, twisting them open and handing one to Mark. They both took a long sip.

"So, how many times am I going to have to catch you staring at Little Grey?"

Mark tried to act dumb, "Huh?"

"You. With the doe eyes at Little Grey."

Mark rolled his eyes and sat back, taking another long sip, "They aren't doe eyes. They are hot, steamy eyes. I am McSteamy, after all."

"McFawney."

"Shut up."

A bottle cap came flying at her and she ducked.

"Your aim is terrible."

"That was left handed."

Callie took a swig of her beer and leant forward. "You still love her and sleeping around isn't going to fix it and the reasons you broke up, Little Sloan and the Baby, they aren't reasons anymore."

"She's with Karev."

"So? You don't want fifty years to go by and realise you let the love of your life get away."

Mark eyed her up for a minute.

She looked at him edgily, "What?"

"What about _you?"_

"What about me?"

He looked like he wanted to ask one thing then changed his mind and went in another direction.

"What about those couple of dates you went on with hotty knee op girl?"

Callie rolled her eyes and picked up her game controller and hit start, blowing something up instantly, "She was nice. We had a couple of dates over two weeks but there just wasn't...spark. Like I told you when we stopped seeing each other a month and a half ago. Okay?"

Mark grabbed his controller and hastily stabbed a zombie that was trying to gnaw on his characters shoulder, running after Callie's into the dark warehouse, "Okay. What about Robbins?"

Callie almost dropped her controller, "What?"

"She has to be why you aren't dating?"

Callie wanted to throw her controller at him, but instead threw a stick of dynamite near a stack of explosives, sending his buff little man flying.

"Watch it!"

"She's not why I'm not dating."

"You're not hanging around waiting for her to come back in a year and a bit? Or more?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She looked adamantly at the screen, beheading a zombie with satisfaction, "Because, our reasons are still reasons. Since when are you on team Callie waiting for Arizona?"

"I'm not, not even a little bit." Mark used a lull in zombies to grab a swig of his beer, "Long distance is stupid, and even worse when it's over two continents and there are zero visits and it is _way_ to long without sex, which you've already gone too lo-" He hit pause, "What was that?"

Callie blinked stupidly at the screen as everything froze, "What was what?"

"Your face did a, a face."

She raised her eyebrows at him and grabbed her beer.

"You made a face, Torres."

"Did not."

"You did! You _are_ waiting."

Callie threw her hands up, careful not to slop her beer and failing, "I'm not waiting!" She actually sounded irate.

"So what was the face? When I bought up the stupid amount of time its been since you've gotten laid, since you didn't sleep with knee chick, and you made a face?"

Callie sighed and leant back, blowing her fringe out of her eyes and hugging her beer bottle to her chest, "I got laid."

"You _did_ tap that!" Mark looked delighted, "Why'd you lie about it?"

Callie sipped her beer, "I didn't sleep with Jaime."

Mark looked confused, "The chick from Derm, then? She's been asking for a date for ages."

"I slept with Arizona."

"She left eight months ago, that doesn't count...wait. What?" His delight turned to confusion.

Callie gave in, "Two months ago, literally right after my first date with Jaime, Arizona turned up on my doorstep."

Mark looked at her stupidly, "What?"

"Her dad was sick and she was in Seattle on a stop over. It was one night."

Mark sipped his beer and didn't look at her.

"Mark? Whats with your face making a face now?"

He shook his head and picked up the controller, hitting start, "Nothing. There's no face."

Callie leant forward and hit pause on her own, "There's a face. What?"

"Robbins rocked up for one night of sex?" His voice was careful, measured.

"She rocked up for one night. She didn't come expecting that." Callie sipped her beer, eyeing him off, trying to gauge where he was going.

Marks eye twitched, "Yeah, I'm sure."

Callie looked confused, "What?"

"Come on, she shows up after departing the country indefinitely and leaving you struggling to move on. And when you _finally_ do start moving on, she rocks up, sleeps with you and leaves again?"

He sounded genuinely pissed off.

"It wasn't like that." Callie sat forward, her elbows on her knees.

"Sure it wasn't."

"She didn't expect-she needed-it just happened. I instigated it. I knew she was leaving the next day."

"Yeah and then you stopped dating. Again."

"I didn't." Callie shrugged again, "I went on other dates with Jaime. Arizona wasn't why I ended that, it was just, I don't know, lacking, Mark."

Mark sipped his beer, still scowling.

"You'll get wrinkles if you look like that much longer."

He glared at her, "I don't get wrinkles. I'm too chiseled."

She grabbed the bottle cap he'd thrown at her and threw it at him, landing the shot on his shoulder.

He managed a small grin and leant forward, mimicking Callie's pose, elbows on his knees, "So what, it didn't leave you more messed up?"

Callie shrugged, "No. Yes. Kind of. It's better now, anyway. I don't regret it though."

Mark nodded.

Callie felt a rush of affection. He'd just gotten protective-he really had grown up.

"C'mon, lets kick some more zombie ass."

Mark grabbed his controller as Callie hit start.

Callie watched the screen intently as a hoard of the undead ran for them, "So, what chick in Derm were you talking about?"

Mark grinned.

####


	17. Chapter 16

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **You guys rock, seriously. Thanks for all the feedback :). Makes my day.  
Should I warn again? This is a long road. The girls were together four weeks before this happened-sorry to the guest review that said it is teenagery if they sleep with other people. I know we all hate the thought of them with anyone else, but just...trust. Enjoy the (long) ride. Try not to hate me too much :)

**Chapter Sixteen  
Bang**

Arizona aimed the pool cue, took a shot, and missed hideously. She dropped her forehead onto the pool table and groaned.

Laughter took up around her. She raised her head and mock glared, "Okay. I suck at this."

"You really do!" Waters walked forward and grabbed the cue from her, "Seriously, Robbins, you kick everyone's arse in the OR, including Treager's, but here? You have the co-ordination of a new-born puppy."

Treager was the Head of pediatrics at the biggest pediatric hospital in San Fransisco. He was old school, an amazing surgeon, and had just arrived for a six month stint at the clinic. Arizona had almost pee'd herself in excitement when she'd heard he was interested. Eleven months and the clinic was gaining big interest.

She walked over and leant against the bar, watching Waters line up a shot. He missed and everyone jeered.

"Don't trash talk unless you can follow through!" She smirked and sipped her drink.

Susan laughed and leant next to her at the bar, sipping a mixer drink, "To be honest, I think we all suck."

Arizona looked sideways at her, "It's true."

"We've played for forty minutes and each team has sunk two balls."

"It's a sad day for the medical field."

Susan nodded, faux sadness on her face, "We should all hand our degrees in now."

A few of the clinic staff had decided to grab a drink at one of the few bars near them. Waters was there, and one of the other surgeons, a new girl called Anna who was a fellow from Sydney. Susan had joined, and three of the other nurses, another scrub nurse, Sam, and two of the nurses from the post op wing, Ada and Marshall. And they were all failing miserably at pool.

"Want another drink?"

Susan nodded, "Thanks."

They smiled at each other as Arizona turned around and signalled for more drinks.

Susan had become someone to talk to, a flirtation that was an easy distraction. She was funny, easy to chat with and it turned out that they had a lot in common. Her contract was up in four weeks and then she'd be spending a few weeks back in the states before she flew to India, taking part in an immunisation program in Nepal.

Arizona would actually miss her company.

Thanking Tika behind the bar, who was laughing at Marshalls attempt to sink another ball, she turned and handed Susan her drink.

"Cheers."

They clinked their glasses together.

####

Callie couldn't breath.

When her pager had gone off, telling them they were on a lockdown, she'd thought it was a drill. Or a joke.

A bad joke.

But slowly they'd gotten information.

A shooter was making his way, methodically, through the hospital. There was mass casualties, the power was shut down to the elevators. People were stuck, sitting ducks.

She'd been in the paeds wing to check on her twelve year old patient's fem-pop repair, ready to discharge him home when her pager went off. They'd been there for an hour now, all the kids moved into one area to keep track of them. Tension was high, parents were terrified and frustrated, hiding it behind tight smiles so as not to scare the kids.

She had wandered to the end of the hall to peer through the window of the paeds entrance doors and had seen nothing.

Then she heard a shot.

And Callie felt like she could barely breathe.

It was from far off, and Callie swore that if she hadn't been coiled tight as a spring, waiting to hear something, she would have missed it. Two more followed it and she backed down the hallway, away from the window that showed nothing. Heart pounding, she spun on her heel and almost ran into one of the first year residents. She was staring at Callie, eyes wide.

"Did you hear that?"

Callie nodded, "Get that expression off your face. We have to go back down there."

The resident nodded, "Okay. You too."

Shock made the residents mouthy.

"This is a nightmare."

Sara? Or was it Sam? Nodded again, "It really is. We have a problem."

"What is it-wait, first, don't be insulted by this, but what's your name?"

The resident looked surprised at the question. Not that Callie didn't know it, but that she wanted to, "Ah, Graciella. Grace."

Wow, she'd been way off. She was stuck in here with this intern as a gunman went crazy and she hadn't even known her name.

"Okay, Grace, what's the problem?"

"The appendix kid?" She brought her hands together and pulled them apart, fingers spread, mouthing the word 'pow'.

Callie closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and opened them, "You're sure?"

She nodded, "Ultrasound confirmed." She looked hesitant, "And, ah, you're the only senior surgeon on the floor. The only surgeon at all, actually, besides me."

"Perfect."

####

Arizona slipped out the back door of the bar and wandered into the garden. It had gotten loud and smokey in there and she needed a minute in the fresh air.

In Seattle, she would have walked out into damp, maybe rain, or a brisk, cool breeze. It would have felt like a slap to the skin, waking her up. Here, she wandered out into warmth, a pressing heat that was only broken by humidity and monsoon like rain.

It was fascinating, how everywhere in the world was so different.

She stood in the dark and looked up at the sky, amazed by the spread of stars overhead. When she was a kid, being shipped from place to place by her marine father, her favourite thing to do when they moved to a new town was to lay on her back on the grass in her new back yard and stare at the night sky. Stars were the same, really, everywhere. You could pick patterns, make your own shapes. It was her way of anchoring her self to a place, one of the few things that were familiar besides her family.

Tim would lay next to her, the only time the two of them were still for any length of time. They'd lay on their backs and point out shooting stars and constellations they recognised and ones they made up on the spot. Tim liked to pick rude ones, a genius at finding boobs in the stars.

The door behind her squeaked and Arizona felt Susan stand next to her.

They stood staring up at the stars, their arms brushing slightly.

Susan's voice was soft, "This is my favourite night sky."

Arizona turned to look at her, "Why here?"

Susan looked at her, "It's clear, barely ever any cloud covering them. India takes a close second."

Arizona nodded, "It's awesome, out here."

Their voices were soft.

Susan leant forward.

Arizona closed her eyes.

She felt a hand rest against her neck and soft lips press against her own. She tasted like alcohol, like the cherry that had been dropped into her drink by Tika with a wink.

Susan pulled back, their faces inches apart, "Was going to do that inside, then remembered this wasn't the country for that kind of display."

Arizona laughed, "Good idea."

Susan leant forward again.

####

"Okay, sweetie, you're going to keep looking at Grace."

Callie flicked her eyes up to look at Grace, making sure she was keeping it together for the tiny child she had open and awake on a table. They were in a treatment room that should be used to take out stitches, to irrigate a wound or for physical exams. Not for an open appendectomy on an awake child with only an epidural to work with.

Grace was being a trooper. Maybe the residents weren't as big a lost cause as they all thought.

Callie took a breath and looked down. She hadn't looked at an appendix in years. Not for the first time, it entered her head that Grace would almost be more qualified to do this surgery than she, an Orthopaedic Attending, would be.

She placed the retractor, widening the incision she made. Satisfied with her work, she felt, more than saw Grace's body language change. Callie looked up, seeing Grace staring somewhere past her shoulder, her eyes wide and face white.

Callie looked over her shoulder, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. A man, tall, moustached and pale leant against the door frame, staring at the floor in front of him. Callie raised her hands up slowly from the girls abdomen, holding them up to show they were empty. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her mouth dry. She turned, ever so slowly.

He was leaning heavily, blood dripping on the floor from a wound on an upper limp. A gun was in his hand, slick with his own blood.

Callie tried to swallow, feeling her hands shake slightly where they were raised near her shoulders. One of her hands had slick of blood on it, barely any, having just started the surgery. This girl behind her was getting sicker and she was standing facing a gunman.

He spoke, his voice gruff, "You're a surgeon?"

Callie nodded, taking a small step forward. Her eyes darted down to the wound on his shoulder, then back up to his face, "I am."

He shifted, moving his hand weakly so the gun pointed at her. Callie stopped dead, her eyes wide. He had to have been able to hear her heart pounding. The hair on her arms were standing up now too, her whole body feeling electrified.

Callie heard Grace, softly behind her, the shooters eyes flicking to her and back to Callie, "Please, there's a child here."

Callie heard the little girl, unable to see what was happening behind the drape Callie had hung, "I want my Mummy." Her voice was tiny, a whimper.

The shooters hand with the gun was wavering, the blood loss taking affect, "I always wanted kids. My wife, she couldn't have them. It was just us."

Callie nodded, not sure what she was meant to say.

"Now it's just me."

He seemed to lean on the door even more heavily. Callie looked back at his wound and up to his face. She reached her hand slowly to the tray she had set up next to her, grabbing a handful of surgical gauze. She held it out to him slowly.

"Take this. Apply pressure."

"Why would you help me?"

"Because then I can help her." She indicated with her head behind her, to the little girl who lay behind her.

His eyes hardened as he looked at her. He raised the gun again, shaky in his hand.

They stared at each other, a standoff Callie didn't understand.

####

Arizona walked into her bungalow, the whole thing in darkness. She shut the door behind her and noticed a glow coming from her right. She'd left her lap top open, still connected to the internet.

Shaking her head at herself, she flicked the light switch on, lighting up the room. Her lounge doubled as the bedroom, a fairly spacious room. A couch, a TV that barely worked, a desk she rarely used because she prefered to work in the office at the clinic. A door in front of her went off in to a small bathroom, one on the right to a tiny kitchen.

She kind of loved it. She'd been to the markets and had brought a some art, decorating the place. A white net hung around her bed, an attempt to keep the mosquitoes that managed to get in at bay.

She eyed the bed-it could have been put to use that evening. Her back twinged slightly as she pulled off her light jacket, draping it over the back of the couch. It was scraped slightly where Susan had pushed her against the wall. The thin material of her jacket and tank top not doing a lot of cushioning.

She smiled slightly to herself. Five months since that night with Callie. A few emails since.

It felt nice, to have someones hand on her skin, their lips against her neck. To have spun them around, reversing the position.

A strange thought occurred to her. Callie was really the only person she let take control. She let people take it in the past, of course, to an extent. Sex was fun when it went both ways. But generally, she kind of liked to be the pusher against things, not the pushed.

Not with Callie. It went both ways with Callie.

Waters had walked outside, thankfully walking straight past them without noticing them, stopping a few metres out the door, looking around. At the sound of the door they'd paused, Arizona pulling her hand out from Susan's shirt and stepping back. She leant next to Susan on the wall so that when Waters turned around, all he saw was the two of them leaning against the back wall of the bar, looking amused.

He'd grinned, "There you are! Round three of pool? Marshall and Anna are in."

And they'd followed him inside.

The rest of the night had passed casually, Arizona slipping out around midnight and heading home.

She went to walk over to her lap top, open to a news page, headlines scrolling when a knock went at her door.

She turned around, able to count on one hand the amount of times someone knocked at her bungalow door, normally someone who had ran down from the clinic to get her over quickly for a patient.

Opening the door, she saw Susan standing, looking slightly nervous.

"Hey."

Arizona leant against the door frame, "Hey."

Susan stepped forward and kissed her.

She pushed Arizona backwards, flicking the door shut behind her and walking them several steps into the room. Arizona's hands flew up to wrap into her hair, steadying them as they stopped in the middle of the room. Her lips were insistent, her tongue soft in her mouth.

She ran her hands down her front and gripped the thin material of Susan's shirt of her stomach. Susan's lips moved over her jaw, down her neck, tongue and lips tracing patterns.

Arizona let out a slow breath, her eyes fluttering open once. She was staring straight at her lap top, only a metre or two away from them. She went to close her eyes again as the words 'Seattle Grace Mercy West' registered in her brain.

She opened her eyes again.

_'Shooting Rampage at Seattle Grace Mercy West'._

She took in a sharp breath, bringing her hand up between her and Susan, placing it against Susan's sternum and pressing.

Her eyes were wide. Susan stilled.

_'Surgeons Targetted'._

Susan pulled back, "Jesus, you're white. What is it?"

Arizona shook her head soundlessly.

Susan took a step back, her hands gripping Arizona's forearm. She looked from Arizona's face to the lap top behind her.

"Arizona? What is it?"

"I-"

She couldn't speak.

_'Mass casualties.'_

"Arizona?"

She was going to throw up. There was a rushing noise in her ears.

"I-I have to make a phone call."

####


	18. Chapter 17

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Wow, some amazingly mixed reviews ;) Loved reading them all.

I've warned from the start that this is a long story to how they get together, sorry to those finding it tedious but there is plenty of well written, amazing stories out there with them together. And sometimes, life is tedious ;). Also, this was never categorised as a "romance" story, it's always been under "drama/angst"-just to the person that said it was deceitful :).

This is a C/A story, maybe not with as much interaction as you'd like, but it's a story about how they work it out while living their lives. These two characters are the focus of this fiction, not the other people who have made appearances.

And that's me done on the matter :). Thanks for all the support out there, the reviews are what make me sit down and type out the next chapter so quickly! Such an enthusiastic response. You all rock.

Anyway, on with the story! Because I did leave it in a really mean place...I do that sometimes. The heat means I sleep later, which means I write (type).

Merry Early Christmas!

**Chapter Seventeen  
Truth**

She'd never experienced anything like this feeling.

When she had received the phone call about Tim, everything had stopped. It was an undeniable truth, a hard fact. The words 'Killed In Action' a bomb that hit her hard. It was one that kept exploding, a ripple effect of destruction. Her day, starting as a normal one, no warning of what was to come, had then fallen apart.

This, though. She had no idea what to expect. She already had bad news: there were mass casualties, there was a shooting. People she knew would be hurt, could be dead. It could potentially get much worse.

She was in a half way point of fear and knowledge.

Her hands were sweaty as she grabbed the phone, dialing in the number, staring blankly at the lap top in front of where she sat.

It rang out.

_'Mass casualties.'_

She was going to throw up if she didn't calm down.

_'Surgeons Targetted'._

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she dialled again.

It rang out.

_'Numbers rising.'_

Arizona slammed the phone on to the desk.

"No luck?"

She spun around, having forgotten that Susan was seated on the couch. The woman was pale, leaning her elbows on her knees at she watched Arizona, who shook her head.

"Want me to stay?"

Arizona shook her head again.

"I-uh, I think I need to be alone."

Susan nodded from her place on the couch.

"Did you have a lot of friends there?" She stood up.

Arizona swallowed, "I knew a lot of people. I never made a lot of friends though."

"You look like someone who's pretty worried about someone they care about."

Arizona nodded, "I am. I, ah, have an ex there."

"An ex?"

"An amicable ex. A friend."

"You must be worried sick."

Arizona nodded.

"Is she someone you're still involved with?"

Arizona was silent for a minute. The rushing noise was back in her ears.

"Um. No. I don't believe in long distance relationships."

Susan looked dubious, but left it, "You sure I can't do anything?"

Arizona shook her head, "I just need to keep calling until I find out if everyone-well, who's okay." Arizona clenched her jaw, "And who's not. Thankyou, though."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything."

And she was gone.

Arizona sat, staring blankly ahead of her. She'd been hooking up while Callie was stuck in a nightmare. While everyone over there was stuck in a nightmare. She shuddered. This was an unthinkable situation. She was sitting in a bungalow in Africa, a place known for flashes of unrest, and she was safe and well. And in Seattle, where she had people she cared about, where she'd assumed her people were safe, the world had fallen apart. A man and a gun had shattered a security that was assumed; taken for granted.

She spun around, flicking through new reports.

_'Names not yet released.'_

_'Surgeries performed on the floor and tables to try and save lives.'_

_'Elevators shut down.'_

_'Over thirteen confirmed dead.'_

_'The number is expected to rise.'_

_'Shooter dead at his own hand.'_

Arizona grabbed blindly for the phone again.

She dialled.

It rang out.

This was not helping the nauseated feeling.

The errant thought to jump on a plane ran through her mind. Then what? Sit for eighteen hours not knowing? To sit with _this_ feeling for eighteen hours? She'd go crazy.

What do you do? What was she supposed to do in this situation?

She dialled.

Someone answered.

Arizona let all the air in her lungs out in a rush.

"Callie? Callie."

_"Arizona?"_

God, Callie's voice, it broke over her name. And Arizona flooded with relief at the sound of it, pained or not.

"Thank God, I just saw the news. Are you okay?"

_"I-I'm fine." _There was a sob in her throat.

"Callie..."

_"Sorry, it's just been, um, hard."_

Arizona leant back in her chair, finally letting the relief flood over her.

"Don't say sorry." She shut her eyes and pressed her fingers over her eyes, leaning her head back, "I'm so glad to hear your voice. You didn't answer and, well, I freaked."

_"Sorry. I'm at Marks. He made me have a shower. He's in there now."_

"Mark's okay then?" Arizona felt more relief. Bit by bit, she was realising the horror of the situation and what her fears had actually been. Callie was fine: check. Mark was fine: check. So many other names.

_"Physically, yeah. We only both just left the hospital we were sent to, they made us get checked out. We checked on everyone who was admitted while we were there."_

"Who...is everyone..."

Callie's voice was strained, _"So many people died, Arizona."_

"God."

_"Some of the Mercy Westers. I worked with them there, when I left Seattle Grace. Reede and Percy...they were good doctors. They were going to make good surgeons."_

"Oh, Callie..."

_"Nurses I've worked with for years, orderlies, doctors...so many."_

Nurses they'd all worked with? Laughed with during surgery? Requested instruments from, asked to hold retractors when things got dicey? Nurses she'd shared coffee with, who had stood with her as she called time of death? Orderlies she'd said hello to in the morning? Who she'd shared jokes with? The orderly who had scowled at her about her heelies leaving marks on the floor, but then asked where they were when she didn't wear them one day? Other doctors, surgeons she knew, and liked? Hank, from security, who liked to ask her how her coffee was each morning? Any of them? All of them?

God.

"Our people?"

_"Alex Karev," _Callie's voice was catching in a sob, and Arizona tensed, _"He was shot, he's in a bad way." _Karev alive, check."_ Lexie is with him. Derek Shepherd is alive, but it's been touch and go. Hunt was grazed with a bullet." _Lexie, Derek, Hunt: check, check, check. Callie took a deep breath, having pushed through the hard parts. _"I think...I think what's going to be hard, is going to be getting over it. I think almost all of us had a gun pointed at us."_

Arizona's eyes flew open, she sat up, ridged, "You?"

Callie spoke like she was speaking over dry sobs, _"I-I operated on a five year old today, Arizona. I did an appendectomy. I've not done one of those in..." _

She trailed off, hiccuping.

"What happened?"

_"I was stuck on the paeds floor, lockdown. With a resident and only two nurses for all those kids. One of them, her appendix blew. We gave her an epidural and I had to operate in a treatment room."_

Arizona closed her eyes. That would not have been fun.

"Not many could have done that."

Callie ploughed on. _"He found us. The shooter." _Silence rang for a minute. "_I thought...I thought he was going to..."_

"Callie.."

She felt useless. She had no idea what to say. How to help.

_"He'd been shot. He spoke to me. He pointed the gun at me. I gave him gauze, and he left. But he pointed the gun right at me. He thought about it, Arizona. I-I think it was only the kid that stopped him. He was out for surgeons, and there was me, in full surgical kit in a girls abdomen."_

"Jesus. I'm just, I'm so glad you're okay."

_"He stared at me, right in the eye, and I saw him think about it." _She heard Callie take in a shuddering breath, _"I could have taken his gun." _She whispered it.

"What?"

_"When I handed him the gauze he held the hand up that had the gun in it for me to put it in. I-I could have taken it."_

Her voice was laced with shame.

"I am so, so glad you didn't do that."

_"What?"_

"That would have been stupid. You had a ward full of tiny humans, one right behind you that needed you."

_"I could have stopped more people being shot."_

"God, no, you couldn't. You didn't know if he had more guns on him, or if he was as weak as he looked. His hand was still on the gun. Callie, he could have seen you thinking to go for it and fired."

_"But-"_

"No. God, no. That would have been so stupid. You were so brave, Callie. Getting him to leave. Facing him. You were so brave."

She heard Callie break down and sob.

_"I could've...it would've stopped..."_

Arizona stood, pacing the room, needing to do something physical, "No. No you couldn't. You protected that little girl. And everyone else in the ward. And yourself. You sound like you were amazingly brave. You stood in front of a gun and lived. I don't want to hear that tone in your voice again; you should be proud. That little girl was lucky you were there."

The sobs on the phone increased.

Arizona dropped onto the edge of the couch, "Shhh."

She said it like she would have if her arms were wrapped around her. She sat, curled into a ball on the couch as Callie sobbed on the phone.

_"S-sorry."_

"Stop saying that."

_"Okay."_

Arizona chewed on her lip, "How is Cristina? Grey?"

_"A mess, and pretending they're not."_

"Both their boyfriends were shot. Were they there?"

_"I haven't gotten the whole story yet. But I know they both saw them get shot." _Callie blew out a deep breath_, "And I think-I think Cristina operated on Derek with a gun to her head."_

Arizona actually gasped.

_"Yeah."_

"Callie..."

_"Arizona?"_

"I want to help. I-what can I do?"

_"You're helping."_

"I've not done anything."

_"You have."_

They sat silently. Callie's breath still shuddering, the odd hiccup sounding down the phone.

_"Are you okay?"_

"Are you really asking me that?

_"Yes."_

"I'm-I'm relieved."

_"Yeah."_

"God, Callie. You wouldn't believe what was going through my mind."

_"I could."_

"Yeah. You could. I ah..."

_"What, Arizona?"_

Arizona closed her eyes and leant back on the couch, "I feel guilty."

_"What? Why?"_

"There's so many grieving families today. And you've all just gone through hell. And I'm just-I'm just so _relieved_ you're okay."

_"Arizona."_

She breathed her name out.

Arizona went to say something else, then heard a deep voice coming through on the other end of the phone.

_"One minute."_

Arizona sat, listening to the muffled sound of Callie and, she assumed, Mark talking. It wasn't long until she came back on the phone.

_"Sorry. Marks in his room for the minute then he'll be back out."_

"Are you staying there tonight?"

_"I think so. Cristina is camped out at the hospital. I don't want to be on my own right now."_

Arizona nodded, "Good. I'm glad you've got someone with you."

_"Thanks."_

"Callie..."

_"Yeah?"_

"Do you want me to fly over?"

_"What?"_

"Do you want me to? Or did you want to come here, maybe? Get away from it?"

_"You'd do that?"_

"I-yeah. You were there for me. After my Dad...I just. It sucks that I'm an eighteen hour flight away. To return the favour? You know?"

_"There's a lot that sucks about you being an eighteen hour flight away, Arizona." _Her voice was soft, nothing bitter: a statement of truth. They sat for a minute, the sound of their breathing echoing down the phone line.

"There is. A lot."

_"I-I need to be here. Here with everyone, after what's happened. Everyone's a mess, I want to...I need to be here. And you, you need to be there."_

Arizona swallowed heavily, "Are you sure?"

_"No. Yes. No. If you come, it wont be for good. And I'll be needy, Arizona. I'll be an emotional, needy wreck and then you'll have to leave."_

Arizona nodded, knowing Callie couldn't see her. She closed her eyes.

_"You be there, and be a rock star. And I'll stay here, and be...I don't know what."_

"You'll be an amazing friend, and supportive. You'll-you'll be you, Callie."

_"I wish you weren't an eighteen hour flight away right now."_

Arizona blew out a slow breath between her lips, steadying herself.

"Me too."

Silence beat for a moment.

"Do you need to go?"

_"Can we just...sit, for a minute? Marks calling to check up on Lexie. And I don't want to hang up just yet."_

"Of course."

They sat in silence; company and comfort eighteen hours apart.

####


	19. Chapter 18

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **I made a slight change to the order things happen in season seven. I maintain I'm allowed to ;)

PSYCH! The last wasn't the last update before Christmas! Merry Christmas Eve! :D

**Chapter Eighteen  
Blast**

_Arizona,_

_Thanks again for sitting on the phone with me for  
so long. I needed it.  
Everything here is messy. It's hard. Some of us want  
to talk about what happened, all the time. Others are  
running from it and refuse to even discuss it. Four  
weeks on, and we're all still kind of trapped in the nightmare.  
Litte Grey is broken. Really, really broken. And Mark  
keeps trying to fix her, which I think is breaking her more.  
Karev has dumped her and she ended up being committed  
by Mark overnight. They drugged her and she crashed out  
and Mark never left her bedside. And now I think he's  
smothering her and she can't move on.  
Shepherd quit being Chief, Webber's back. So much for  
not making life altering decisions post a trauma.  
Speaking of trauma, we all had to be cleared to operate  
again. Most of us have been, but Yang and Grey. Yang  
has lost interest in surgery and Grey is ready to scalpel  
someone in their sleep to get in some OR time. I'm actually  
scared to sleep in an on call room.  
Well, we all are. Scared at the hospital, scared at home.  
It's like someone ripped away our security blanket and  
all the reasons why we needed one reared their head.  
Yang and Hunt are getting married tomorrow night. Again  
with the life altering decisions. I've been talking to Mark,  
I might move in there and give the newly weds their space.  
Bachelor Pad, much?  
You launched the HIV Awareness Program yet?  
~Callie  
PS Teddy is sleeping with the hot Trauma counsellor (not  
her counsellor, 'cause you know, unethical). She's being  
all GI Jane and getting her rocks off. It's cute._

####

"Welcome back Shepherd, indeed!"

"What, you think it's a bad idea?"

Callie handed Teddy a coffee as they walked away from the coffee cart and towards the elevator.

"God no, not bad. Innovative. Extreme. Intense. Not bad." Teddy leant casually against the wall as she waited for the elevator to reach their floor. "And there's definitely no cardiac issues?"

"You that desperate to scrub in?"

"You're splitting a guys face in half. I'm more than desperate."

Callie grinned, "Nope. Nothing cardiac.". She jammed the button for 'up' again.

"That doesn't make it get here any faster."

"Yeah, well, it makes me feel better."

The up arrow lit up and a 'ding' sounded and Teddy and Callie walked into the elevator, empty at nine pm at night. They leant against the back wall.

"See, it did work."

"Oh, yeah, that was totally what made it get here." Teddy sighed dramatically, "Fine, I'll just have to watch from the gallery."

Callie grinned, "Bet you end up naked in the counselling room instead."

Teddy tried to hide a smirk, "That happened once. And thankfully only you caught us, not anyone else."

"Yeah, well, I kind of wish it was someone else that caught you." The doors opened up to their floor and they both wandered out of the elevator, sipping their coffees, "That image was not one I wanted. Though kudos on being able to bend that way."

Teddy didn't even bother to hide her smirk this time, "Pilates."

"I should really get back into that." They stopped their meander and leant against the empty nursing station, "So, it's still amazing?"

"The sex is mind blowing."

Callie grinned, "Yeah?"

"It's like there's a party going on, only I'm the only one invited." Her eyes lit up, "There's a party in my panties."

Callie raised her eyebrows at her over her coffee cup, looking slightly disturbed.

Teddy grimaced, "I have no idea where that came from."

####

_Callie,_

_That tumour kids Mom bought you all in wine? See,  
sometimes our job is nice. Three months on and he's  
tumour free thanks to Mark, Derek and you. And pain free.  
That's awesome._

_I'd express some empathy for you walking in on Mark with  
that chick he picked up at a bar, but you moved in with him.  
I'm not really sure what you expected ;). I would get the  
kitchen bench professionally cleaned if I were you, though.  
Because...ew. Good to hear Mark's moving on from the the  
idea of him and Lexie though. Except, you know, he's not.  
He's obviously just shagging everything that moves to  
try and forget Lexie. But then, you caught her staring  
at him dreamily. Maybe it will happen.  
Like the word shagging? The UK guys got me using it.  
I'm sure Derek will get his trial approved, that man has scarily  
amazing brains for someone with such pretty hair.  
We applied for further grants with the Welder Foundation  
to support the HIV program and won! More money that  
we can pour into it without taking from the grant for the  
clinic. I'm so excited with what I'll be able to do with all this.  
~Arizona._

_Oh, and Karma really bit you in the ass! After all that effort  
to psych out everyone else when pitching to the chief, you  
choked anyway.  
Telling the Chief that no ones going to get excited about  
your cartilage if Shepherd starts curing Alzheimer's, because  
no one gets excited about ortho. Callie, really? Tsk Tsk. _

####

Arizona pulled her mask off, dumping it with her gown and gloves into the waste bins. Leaving her scrub cap on, she scrubbed out, thanking the Gods that not only did her grant allow her to bring surgeons to the kids of this country, but it also allowed her to do it with all the bells and whistles, like sorting out waste disposal appropriately and having clean scrubbing water.

Fourteen months since she'd left the US.

Anna, the resident from Sydney, started scrubbing out next to her, choppy dark bangs falling into her eyes.

"That was my first solo cleft palate."

Arizona grinned, looking across at her, "Yeah it was. And it went super. That baby boy is going to thrive now he can eat and drink properly."

"And his smile will blow everyone away."

"You did a great job."

"Thanks, Doctor Robbins, that means a lot coming from you."

Arizona looked at her again, hands under the running water, "Well, it's true."

Anna dipped her heard, flushing red and finished up in the sink, drying her hands off and exiting, looking back to throw a smile over her shoulder.

Okay, Arizona wasn't imaging it.

Susan had left for the states not long after the shooting had occurred. Nothing further had happened with the two of them, Arizona was constantly wrapped up in her own thoughts and Susan had seemed to take a step back. They had stayed friendly, chatting and going for drinks, however. She was a good friend.

But that was four months ago and over that time, Anna had seemed to sway from friendly and out going, to acting coy, blushing and avoiding her eyes at times.

And then throwing flirty looks at her as she walked out. Almost every time she left a room.

Fourteen months since leaving the US. And Arizona was starting to get lonely.

Where did these gay medical staff keep coming from?

####

_Arizona,_

_Yang's quit. Her and Grey are arguing or something-  
whatever it is, they aren't speaking and it's weird.  
Karev is floating around the hospital lost and not  
sure where he belongs. Mark and Lexie are dancing  
around each other, Lexie still having break downs  
randomly. Hot trauma surgeon left months ago and  
Teddy is internet dating. I say that again: Teddy is  
internet dating.  
Five months on from the shooting and everything is  
just...still a mess.  
I don't know when we thought it would get better.  
And a TV station has pitched the idea of doing a  
documentary on us six months post the shooting.  
The Chief put the idea out to us and said everyone  
had to agree to it or it wouldn't happen.  
I don't want to be on TV. But maybe it would be cathartic?  
I don't know.  
~Callie  
The residents are all on nights and running the  
hospital tonight while we all go drink and celebrate  
Shepherds' trial approval. God help the patients._

####

"Joe! Another round on me for the brilliant neuro God!"

Marks voice boomed across the bar and Joe nodded towards them. Cristina perked up behind the bar and started making more of her hideous blue concoctions.

Teddy, slouched over the table top with several empty glasses in front of her, raised her eyebrows as she watched Cristina pour drinks, "That really is the most depressing thing I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot."

Bailey slurped the last of her drink, "Don't look at it and you can pretend it's not happening."

Derek never took his eyes off Cristina, as he hadn't done the entire night.

Callie clapped delightedly as more drinks were placed in front of them and Cristina dashed off to get shots sorted for the frat boys who had just arrived, "Thanks, Mark."

"Your round next, Torres." Mark looked over Callie's shoulder, "Or, you could just go buy a drink for that red head who hasn't stopped staring at you."

The entire table of surgeons turned and stared at the bar where Mark had indicated, including Callie.

Mark rolled his eyes, "Subtle, everyone."

Bailey piped up, "We're drunk. Subtle isn't an option."

Callie turned back around, "She's looking at me?"

Mark nodded, "All night."

Teddy lifted her head off of her hand where Callie thought she just may have been falling asleep, "Go, get yours Callie."

Callie grabbed Marks drink and knocked it back, taking a deep breath and walking over.

"Was she really looking at her?"

Mark shrugged, "Dunno, but something had to get that girl out there."

Baile and Teddy snorted.

Derek rolled his eyes, "Why does she _have_ to be out there, Sloan?"

Mark grinned and sipped his drink, "I'm her house mate, and therefore her wingman. It's my job to get her out there."

"Get me out there." Teddy's cheek was mushed into her palm as she turned her head slightly to look at Mark, "As long as the guy doesn't live with his Mother and crochet, I'm in."

Mark smirked at her, "Stop looking on the internet and you might find one."

Teddy looked indignant, "Don't judge me!" She frowned suddenly, swaying, elbow pressed into the wood of the table, head still pressed into her palm, "Oh, God, who am I kidding. I judge me."

She dropped her head onto the table with a thud.

Mark smirked, Bailey leant forward to steal Teddy's still full drink and Derek watched Cristina as subtly as he could, not touching his drink.

Mark's grin widened as Callie slid back into her seat, knocking back Derek's drink in one hit and making a face, "Well?"

"She wanted to know where I bought my shoes."

Marks face fell, "Well...can't win 'em all."

Then Callie smiled, "But her friend wanted my number and was wondering when I was next free."

Teddy groaned louder, Mark fist bumped Callie, Derek raised his eyebrows while not taking his eyes away from the bar and Bailey giggled to herself.

####  
_Callie,  
The film crew are already there? Well, I look forward  
to watching the documentary in three weeks.  
Try not to focus on talking about what happened, if  
you don't want to. Focus on talking about what the  
plans are for the future, like your research._

_Don't be nervous. If in doubt, just smile :)  
~Arizona_

####

Arizona shut the door quietly behind her and walked on soft feet away from the small bungalow towards her own. She looked at her watch, seeing it was only three am. She'd shower, then head in to the clinic to check on some of her post ops.

She felt like she was years ago. Sneaking out of someones house at the early hours. She'd only slept with Anna a couple of times, both of them using each other for one thing and one thing only. The woman's rotation was over in a few weeks and she'd be heading back to Australia and Arizona would never see her again.

That made her sound trampy. She liked Anna. She was sweet and funny and had an edge that jumped out occasionally. They just weren't; well, they weren't more.

Slipping into her own bungalow, she shut the door behind her and showered, standing under the hot stream. She leant her hands flat on the tile over the faucets and let the water run hotter than she'd normally have it, marking her back red. The documentary from Seattle Grace Mercy West would be available on the TV stations website to view this morning, post airing in the US yesterday. Arizona turned the cold lower, disappearing into the heat to try to block her thoughts. She immersed hersef in the shower.

A half hour later, she walked into the clinic adorned in scrubs and smelling like the soap she'd found that was similar to the one she had used in the states. The smell of it made her think of one of the few times her and Callie had slept at Arizona's. Callie had grinned as they'd showered together, telling Arizona that she wanted every inch of her to smell of this soap. When Arizona had asked her why, Callie had smiled up at her from on her knees, soap running slowly up Arizona's calf, and said it was because it was a smell that Callie had always associated with her. That when Arizona had walked in to a room, Callie always knew it was her because she knew her smell. She'd then spent forty minutes and a lot of hot water making sure Arizona would smell of that soap all day.

Arizona walked as quietly as she could on to the post op wing, smiling at one of the nurses who was filling in a chart and sleepily sipping coffee. She slipped into one of the rooms and smiled to see her patient awake.

"Hey, baby girl. How's Tolu?"

Arizona leant down and picked the eight month old up, mindful of the incision on her abdomen. Tolu's face lit up in a smile at the site of Arizona and gurgled happily. Lifting her up, Arizona brought her nose to her own, blowing a rasberry, then settled her on her hip, wandering out of the room and into her office, shutting the door behind her.

"Wanna keep me company while I pretend to do paperwork?" Arizona asked her seriously.

Tolu gurgled again, face still smiling.

Arizona bounced her gently, sitting down at her desk and settling her on her lap. She flicked her computer on and smiled down at the baby on her lap, who had settled back comfortably into Arizona.

"If anyone asks, you were unsettled and needed company, okay? I have some TV to catch up on."  
####

**Oh! That was mean for a Christmas update. I'm sorry! Don't hate on me too much.  
Updates will be longer, this was kind of an in-the-middle-of-an-idea chapter.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Loving on all you guys, thanks for the ongoing reviews and support :). I'm really enjoying writing this story.

You know, it's funny, when I read a book I don't like or I'm watching a program that isn't up my ally (Home and Away comes to mind-no judgement to those that like it, but wow, I can't stand the show)-I just put the book down or change the channel. No muss, no fuss. :D

**Chapter Nineteen  
Affiliated**

"Tolu, I'm glad you're only eight months, because this is going to talk about some scary stuff." Arizona bounced the baby on her knee gently. Tolu gurgled happily and leant back onto Arizona's front. The baby reached up and grabbed the bell of her stethoscope, tugging it into her mouth. Arizona smirked, "Glad I just sanitized that."

She leant forward and googled what she was after. The link came right up and she loaded the episode she wanted. She maximised the screen, adjusted the volume and leant back. It was four am-she should get to finish this before she was needed. She looked down at Tolu, who seemed to be using her stethoscope as a pacifier and was beginning to blink sleepily. Arizona stroked back her hair, "I thought that might happen. Four is early, even for you."  
Tolu was from one of the orphanages, and due to her need for a bit of extra post op care the staff there wouldn't be able to provide, she had been on the ward longer than usual. She was often found on a nurses or surgeons lap, getting some TLC.

It helped that she was incredibly cute and smiled at anything you did.

Still stroking Tolu's hair, Arizona watched the screen in front of her light up. She smiled to herself as dramatic music played and shaky camera's followed running doctors, some she recognised, others she didn't. The show was obviously going for intense and dramatic.

She watched Callie excitedly talking about a double arm transplant she was performing with Sloan and Shepherd. That girl was a genius with a scalpel-hopefully this would get her more recognition. She watched Callie smile a lot a the camera, knowing she was nervous, and trying to ignore the flip in her stomach-her smile still did the same thing to Arizona.

She saw the head of pediatrics, a Doctor Stark, walk almost casually into a room where Alex Karev was running a code on a little girl with a tumour blocking her airway. Karev suggested a trache when intubation failed-something Arizona could see she needed straight off-Stark said yes, and she frowned as he took over from Karev, not letting him perform the procedure himself.

She 'humphed' and looked down at Tolu, almost fast asleep against her chest, "Looks like someone doesn't know how to share." She watched Stark throw an order at Karev that would have more suited an intern, "Or how to teach."

The documentary was fast paced, and she watched Lexie repeatedly being denied access by a fancy, new alarm system Webber had employed. She raised her eyebrows as Webber discussed the triumphs of the hospital, and how he tried to list all the good things that were coming out of it. He mentioned her own name and her clinic in Malawi, "a brain child of one of his top surgeons, a Carter Madison winner". She shrugged to herself; nice praise.

She smirked as she watched Callie roll her eyes as Sloan, Hunt and Shepherd had a pissing contest, calling themselves titans. Callie didn't mention the shooting once, focussing on talking about the transplant and how it was 'pretty cool', trying to downplay her obvious genius involvement.

And then something happened that made her perk up.

Karev had an idea, one that blew her mind for a fourth year resident to come up with and pitch. He wanted to grow the girl a new trachea from her own stem cells.

It was brilliant.

But he was having trouble convincing Stark. There was a side shot of them arguing in a hall, obviously neither aware they were being filmed. Stark called it 'stupid and risky' while Karev pointed out that it was her only shot.

And it was her only shot. It wasn't stupid and risky. It was smart, cutting edge and would save the girl's life. It was something Arizona herself would do in a heartbeat.

She would've been sitting on the edge of her seat as she watched this story unfold, except the heavy weight of a now asleep baby weighed her down. She shifted Tolu so she lay tummy down on Arizona's front, rubbing circles on her back as she watched Karev continue to argue for the new trachea. Stark refused him and walked away.

Meredith Grey talked about Yang and how she had saved her husbands life-Yang was on vacation. Arizona pursed her lips. Vacation. Right.

She held her breath as Karev went to Webber with the idea. This kid had balls. Webber grinned as he voiced the plan, patting Karev on the back and saying to the cameras that "this was what his hospital was capable of. Some people would think a shooting would set them all back, but clearly it's not the case". Karev smiled uncomfortably at the praise.

She watched Callie and co kick the transplants ass. She grinned as Callie swooped in and saved one of the arms. Seriously, if this didn't get her recognition for her mad skills, nothing would. And then she watched Karev sleep day and night at the hospital, ensuring the trachea grew like it should. She watched him try to say he liked paeds because it was "hard core, elite-the best of the best". That it had nothing to do with the kids.

Then she watched him interact with his patients. Watched as she took him as 'the best part of her experience' to school. She watched 'Doctor Stark declined to comment' scroll across the screen as Karev talked to a roomful of eager school children.

An idea started to run through her mind.

She leant forward and picked up the cordless phone on her desk, careful to not disturb Tolu. She paused as she went to dial in a number, distracted by the screen again.

Callie sat with the 'Titans' at the bar-all of them lighthearted, drinking, joking. Callie looked backwards at the camera, grinning. Arizona leant forward and hit pause, stilling the frame.

She looked amazing. Hair tumbled down her back; obviously she'd grown it long again. She was glowing, radiant in success of the surgery. She had a badass leather jacket on that made Arizona's mouth go dry.

She didn't just look amazing, she looked hot.

She swallowed heavily and raised the phone back up. She dialled in the number to call out of country, added in the code for the US, then dialled the number she was thinking of.

"Yes, hi. This is Doctor Arizona Robbins, can you please put me through to Doctor Karevs pager?" She leant back further, balancing the phone and the baby, "Yes, I'll hold."

Terrible elevator music assaulted her for a full five minutes before the call was connected as Alex dialled through from her page, "_Hello?"_

"Karev, it's Doctor Robbins? I worked with you once or twice before I left for Africa."

_"Yeah, I remember you. You should get back here, paeds is hell now."_

"We barely got to work together."

_"Anything's better than Stark."_

Arizona laughed, "That's what I was hoping you'd say."

_"What?"_

"I've got a proposition for you. I just watched the documentary-how does a six month rotation through an international clinic with me as your Attending sound?"

There was a beat of silence.

_"You're serious?"_

"You've got talent, Karev. You saved that girls life. How did it feel?"

Another beat of silence, _"It felt pretty good."_

"How'd you like to feel that all the time?"

_"How soon could I get there?"_

Arizona grinned.  
####

Callie smiled at the guy who slid between her and Teddy at the bar, leaning his elbow on it casually and taking a sip of his beer. He smiled at Callie.

"Hey."

Callie smiled back, "Hey."

Her smiled widened as Teddy's head popped up from behind his shoulder, her eyebrows raised.

"Having a nice night?"

"Not too bad."

Teddy gave up and turned around to talk to Hunt, "Seriously. That's the third person to hit on her tonight."

Hunt nodded as he sipped his beer, "It really is."

Teddy glared at him, "The _third_ person. I can't even get one."

Hunt shrugged, "You're married."

Teddy narrowed her eyes, "Not real married. I'm 'helping-a-tumour-guy-out' kind of married."

"Maybe people pick up on that."

Mark chimed in from next to Hunt, "Men can sense an involved woman."

"I'm not involved! Not really. I'd just like one, _one_, attractive man to hit on me. That is all."

Hunt laughed, "Well, it'd seem Callie is getting all of that tonight."

Teddy turned around to be centimetres from the guys well muscled back again, then spun back around to face the boys, "Seriously. Maybe I should be bisexual. She's getting the men _and_ the women. Not fair for the rest of us."

Mark smiled lecherously.

"Stop thinking about it, Mark."

"Maybe you and Callie could-"

A bottle cap smacked him in the head. Hunt cleared his throat and tried to pretend the image hadn't entered his head, too, "In Callie's defence, it's just this one guy. The other two were women."

"Seriously, did you know there was this many gay women in Seattle?"

Mark shrugged, rubbing his forehead. Teddy had a good hand when it came to bottle cap flicking, "It's paying off for Callie. The women must all be sad now I'm off the market."

Hunt and Teddy both rolled their eyes, "Yes, Sloan, they've all turned gay now because you're amazing penis and charm are no longer available. Really, they've just given up all together."

"I don't like your tone, Altman."

She grinned at him and sipped her drink, turning as she felt the beef of a man move away. Callie was holding a business card, tucking it into her bra and sipping on the new drink she had acquired.

"Another number?"

Callie shrugged, "Apparently." She smiled as she sipped her straw.

Mark leant forward and fist bumped her. "'Atta girl."

"It's kind of annoying. I just wanted to have a few drinks with you guys."

Teddy looked ready to jam Callie's straw up her nose, "Seriously!? Naw, poor Callie, too many hot people are hitting on me. Boo hoo."

Teddy threw back her drink as Callie looked at her amused, eyebrows raised.

Hunt laughed and Mark rolled his eyes, "Torres, you better call them."

She shrugged, "Maybe."

"Give me his number, I'll call him!" Teddy wiggled her eyebrows at Callie.

Callie held her hand protectively over chest where the card was sitting, "Mine, Teddy."

Teddy sighed and ordered another drink, "So what, if your date doesn't work out on Saturday night you have back up?"

Callie nodded, "Exactly."

Mark raised his eyebrows, "You have another date? Who with?"

"Erin."

"Oh, I liked her. She was funny."

"What happened to Stacy?"

Callie shrugged, "Had a few dates, not much came of it."

Hunt furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait. Stacy? Erin? I thought your last date was with Jake?"

Callie laughed, "That was two weeks ago. He bored me."

Teddy shook her head, "Playing the field much?"

"It's kind of fun. I've never done the whole, dating scene before. Usually I jump from one serious thing to another."

"Yeah, fun for you," Teddy pulled the cherry out of her glass and bit into it, "You're actually getting dates."

Mark leant forward on the bar, "Yeah, she's dating, but is she getting laid?"

"Why does everything come down to sex with you?"

"I'll take that as a no, then."

Callie rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, "I saw Jaime last week for a coffee, she-"

"Jaime? As in, had a few dates with last year, Jaime?" Mark looked far too exited.

Callie looked confused, "Ah, yeah?"

He grinned, "Is that back on?

Teddy was looking from Callie to Mark, intrigued. Hunt just looked confused. He seemed to be counting the amount of names listed in his head.

"No." Marks face fell and Callie smirked, "You're a terrible gossip."

"I'm an excellent gossip."

Callie rolled her eyes, "We ran into each other a few weeks ago and caught up. We're friends. We have coffee. It's nice, actually, an outside work friend."

Teddy and Mark both looked incredibly affronted, "No, you know, I mean, she's gay and-"

"What, so you're enjoying having a friend to check out women with? I'm insulted I don't meet that criteria."

"No, that's not what I mean. And besides, you check out one woman, these days, Mark. One. And that's Lexie."

Mark looked even more affronted, "I look at other women still."

Teddy, Callie and Hunt all raised their eyebrows at him, "What, I do?"

Their expressions didn't change.

Callie said, "When you said you liked Erin, you said she was funny. You didn't mention her nice ass, or her rack or even her smile."

"Oh, go to hell."

####  
_"We don't usually send fourth year Residents through an international program."_

" I know, Chief, it's unothodox-but think of the press for the hospital? A resident doing six months through a pediatric clinic in Malawi-a clinic affiliated with Seattle Grace Mercy West. With an Attending also linked with the hospital."

Apparently she handled talking to an authority figure over the phone far better than in person.

_"It would be good for the hospital..."_

"Exactly. And, I think, an excellent opportunity for Karev. He's got promise. Promise I'm not sure he's getting to show."

_"What are you saying about my hospital, Robbins."_

"Absolutely nothing about your hospital, sir."

There was a pause as Webber took that in, _"I'd say you were pushing your luck, but sadly I think you've got a point. Stark is...not exactly the kind of surgeon we want at this hospital."_

"I'm just thinking of Karev."

_"I like the idea." _Arizona heard his tone change, _"But just how affiliated with the hospital is the Clinic, really, Robbins?"_

Arizona didn't know where he was going with that one, "Sir?"

_"You weren't here very long before you left for the clinic. The hospital was where you came from, but now, eighteen months on, how affiliated are the two?"_

Ah, that's where.

"I'd love to change that."

_"If you were definitely coming back here-the future Head of Pediatrics of Seattle Grace Mercy West in the Malawi Pediatric Clinic for a couple of years, but ultimately employed with the hospital-well, sending one of my residents over there would be far more worth his, and my, while. And be making steps to having the clinic truly affiliated with us."_

Arizona nodded to herself. Karev for her promise to definitely return as an employee of Seattle Grace Mercy West? Not just an employee, but promised the return to being the head of her department again, even when that position was already filled. Plus, a hint at needing to do more to affiliate the clinic with the hospital. A win for the hospital, apparently, but for her as well.

Arizona leant back in her chair, chewing her lip. Being an almost sister clinic of the hospital would have its perks for the clinic down the road. Funding, supplies-if this idea with Karev worked out, they'd have more good quality surgeons rotated through the clinic. Webber obviously saw the possible financial responsibility he'd carry as worth it for what the affiliation would do for the hospital, and possibly what further donations it would bring.

She had figured she would return to Seattle. It just hadn't been cemented in.

"Chief? You have yourself a deal."

####


	21. Chapter 20

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **You guys are amazing. Thanks for the ongoing reviews :)

**Chapter Twenty  
Realisations**

Callie giggled madly, Teddy's giggles weaving in with her own. They were both flopped on their backs, fully clothed, on Callie's bed and looking scarily crossed with manic and ready to fall asleep.

"Do we drink too much?"

Callie looked at Teddy like she was insane. Teddy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, okay, dumb question...what are you doing?!"

Callie was squinting at her phone, raised above her head, trying to tap in a number, "I feel like drunk calling someone...ow!"

She had dropped her phone on her face.

Teddy burst into hysterical laughter.

Callie picked her phone off of her cheek, trying to pout but failing as a smile broke through. She rubbed her face with one hand, "What, you've never done that before?"

"Oh, no, I have. But it's never been witnessed. And I've never seen it happen. It's hilarious!"

Teddy rolled flat on her stomach, still giggling. Callie rolled her eyes at her and raised her phone back up, closing one eye again to focus better, attempting to re-type a number in. Teddy looked at her with the eye that wasn't mooshed into the pillow, "Who are you drunk dialling?"

"Arizona."

Teddy's one visable eyebrow shot up, "Why on the spinning, dizzy Earth would you call your ex from over eighteen months ago?"

Callie shrugged, "It's been like..." she made a face as she worked out drunken, mental maths, "twenty months. And I feel like talking to her."

"Why?"

"Dunno. We haven't emailed in a while. Not spoken since the shootings. I wanna chat."

Teddy scrunched that one eyebrow down in confusion, "You're ex's."

Callie looked at her blurry eyed, "So?"

"Ex's don't really chat."

"We could chat. We could be chatty exs."

"But you aren't."

"Maybe just tonight then. Besides, we're kind of friends."

"Don't call your ex. Call one of your random date people."

"No." Callie sounded like a petulant five year old, "I want to talk to Arizona."

Teddy reached forward to grab Callie's phone, drunk Callie managing to be quicker than drunk Teddy, "No. My phone."

"Callie. You have a phone addiction."

"So does everyone these days."

"I don't."

Callie scoffed, "Your phone went of yesterday in surgery and you even contemplalat-contempalte-you thought about scrubbing out just so you could read it."

Teddy flushed, "How did you know that?"

"The hospital knows everything."

"You can't call your ex."

"Don't try and switch to my humiliatingly bad ideas."

Teddy just glared at her with one eye.

Callie sighed heavily, "Fine. I won't. Just don't take my phone."

Teddy looked at her skeptically.

"I won't!"

"Don't believe you."

Callie rolled her eyes, "I promise. I won't."

"Good."

Callie closed her eyes, "Sleepy."

She let her breathing even out.

Teddy looked at her skeptically, but drunk tiredness won and she closed her eyes. She didn't open them again.

Callie popped her eyes open, watching her closely for a full minute. A minute in, Teddy snorted, turning her head to bury it into the pillow.

Callie grinned, standing up and slipping out of the room. She flopped on to the couch and pulled her legs up. Focussing on her phone, it took a few goes to find the number she'd stored on her phone when Arizona had called her, then to press the right button to call it.

Drunk dialling was hard.

####

"Karev, you've been here seven weeks and you've already slept with two of the nurses?"

Karev raised his eyebrows at her, "And you haven't?"

Arizona gave him a stony look, "Still your superior, Karev."

He bit into an apple and continued to look at her, "Point stays."

She enjoyed working with Alex. He was fast mouthed and liked to push his luck, but she found they worked incredibly well as a team. And here, away from the other residents competition and drama, she found his attitude improved from what she'd seen, and from what the Chief had warned her of, and Callie's email had hinted at. He was good with the kids, though he didn't like to show it, and he had a knack with his gut feelings. He had a long way to go, but Arizona was finding she thrived off having someone to teach, and knowing that that someone was a person she's get to work with down the road, to continue to mentor.

She opened her mouth to retaliate when she heard the phone in her office ringing, "Go do post ops."

Sometimes he was far too smart mouthed.

She picked up her phone, "Hello, Arizona Robbins?"

_"Hi!"_

She instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear at the pitch of the greeting.

_"Oh, sorry." _The voice whispered now, _"Sick tiny humans around. Gotta use inside voices."_

Arizona felt a smile creep onto her face, "Callie?"

_"Yeah! It's me!" _Her voice was still an exaggerated whisper.

"You know, you're on the phone, you can talk normally, the tiny humans can't hear you."

_"But drunk Teddy might hear me."_

"Where on Earth are you?" Arizona couldn't get the grin off her face as she sat down to talk on the phone to, apparently, a very drunk Callie.

_"My livingroom." _Still with the whisper.

"And where's Teddy?"

_"My room. Oh!" _Her voice perked up, _"She's passed out in another room. She won't hear me!"_

"You should be in the clear."

_"So, hi."_

"Hey. Had a good night?"

_"Had a very good night. Teddy and I, the only single people left on the planet, except Teddy's married, spent the night at Joes."_

"Teddy's married!?"  
_  
"I'm insulted you aren't that surprised I'm single, but whatever." _Her tone was entirely playful, "_Ánd yes. Teddy got married."_

"So, she's married? But still single?"

_"Mhmm. She married a tumour man to give him insurance. But that is all. So she says. But she makes moon eyes at him. And he does at her. A lot. It's kind of gross."_

Arizona leant back in her chair, "So she's single but not?"

_"Yup. She's abandoned me. They'll end up in love. It's a pretty romantic story, really."_

"It sounds it. Married for a good deed, then married for real? It's like a movie plot."

_"Maybe I should write it in a book and make millions?"_

"When do you have time to read a book, let alone write one?"

_"I read!"_

"Not trashy magazines or journal articles about crazy ortho procedures."

_"...touche."_

Arizona laughed softly, "So, it's what...two am there? You should be sleeping."

_"Teddy made me do Jager Bombs. I'm all wired."_

"Jager Bombs!? Wow, have you regressed, Calliope?"

_"I've missed that." _She could practically hear the grin in her voice.

"What?"

_"Only you say my name like that."_

"It's a good name."

_"'S'not. Only sometimes. How is it with Karev?"_

"surprisingly good. Well, not surprisingly, I thought he'd do great here. But he's transitioned well. He's still Karev, though."

_"Good. I don't think I could handle him turning all saint-like."_

"No chance of that happening."

Arizona had tried, really hard, to not contact Callie too much. They emailed, a fair bit at first, and then it had slowed down to every now and again. Catch up emails, really. Yes, she had called her when she had been absurdly worried. She figured that was acceptable. But she had tried to avoid, especially in the beginning, these kind of chatty calls, in the hopes it would make it easier to move on, for both of them. She had showed up on her doorstep, once, six months into it all and when she was vulnerable. Maybe not the fairest thing she'd done, for either of them. Other than that though, she had tried really hard.

And now they were chatting, she had trouble thinking of _why_ they hadn't. Again, logically, she knew why. But chatting with Callie was so much fun. It was easy. Especially when she was drunk.

_"How're the tiny humans?"_

"They're good. Lots of new cases. We're treating osteosarcoma in a fifteen year old at the moment."

_"Ooo. Surgically?"_

"Trying to avoid that route, but it'll most likely come to it. I've put Karev on point."

_"Nice move. That wouldn't happen here."_

"Everything works kind of different in the clinic."

_"You must just do things how you want to?"_

"Kind of. We follow World Health Organisation guidelines of course."

_"They're always a barrel of laughs."_

Arizona smirked, "Oh, always."

_"I did something bad."_

Arizona furrowed her brow at the rapid topic change, "You did?"

_"Yeah."_

"What?"

_"I lied to Teddy."_

"Uhoh."

_"I know. I broke a promise."_

"Callie, that's even worse!" Arizona was using her best teasing voice.

_"I'm a terrible person!"_

She laughed, "I'm sure she'll forgive you. What did you do, anyway?"

There was a pause, _"She made me promise not to drunk dial you."_

"Yeah, you definitely broke that one."

_"I didn't plan on it. The idea just popped into my head."_

"Well, only you and I know. I won't tell if you wont tell."

_"Really?"_

"Cross my heart."

_"Stick a needle in your eye?"_

"I never really got how that helped."

_"Me neither, it's actually kinda gross."_

"Calliope?"

_"Mmm?_"

"I can hear you trying no to fall asleep on the phone."

_"Am not."_

She totally was. Arizona grinned, "Get some sleep, you."

_"Fiiine." _She could practically hear the pout.

"Good night, drunky. Drink a big glass of water before you go to bed."

_"Teddy snores."_

"So do you."

_"True. Think we'll cancel each other out?"_

"I don't think that's how it works."

_"Damn."_

"Night, Callie."

_"Night, Arizona. Oh, Morning. Or whatever it is for you."_

"Callie?"

_"Mm?"_

"It was really nice talking to you. Even if you won't overly remember the conversation."

_"I'll remember. Bits of it."_

She chuckled, "Night."

_"Night."_

####

They were having a rare quiet day in the clinic. Arizona stood at the nurses desk clicking her pen over and over. One of the nurses sitting at the desk writing in a chart looked at her with raised eyebrows. She stopped clicking it with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry."

The nurse, Tracy, new to the program, laughed, "No worries. It is painfully quiet today."

"It's my fault, I didn't book enough through for this afternoon."

Alex turned the corner, "Seriously, Robbins? This day is dead."

Arizona sighed and leant her head on her hand, "It really is."

He leant heavily against the counter, "Three months in and I'm bored."

Arizona raised her eyebrows at him, "Bored?"

"Uh. Today. Today I'm bored."

"Were you bored yesterday with your hands in a thirteen years old chest, their heart in your hands?"

Alex tried not to look sheepish. He was too cool for that, "No."

"Would you have gotten to do that in Seattle?"

"No. Big no."

"Want to say you're bored again?"

He walked around and sat next to the Tracy, who was looking from Arizona to Alex, delighted, "No. I'm charting."

"That's what I thought." She smirked, self satisfied.

A crying sounded down the hallway. Tracy went to stand. Arizona stood straighter, "I'll go. I'm going stir crazy."

Tracy shrugged and went back to her charts, "No worries."

Arizona wandered down the hallway, following the hiccuppy cries. She entered one of their twin rooms, two cribs set up. One of the tiny humans were fast asleep, curled under a light blanket, the other sitting up and looking around tearfully. Arizona threw the tiny fifteen month old her best child friendly smile.

"Moni, Zee."

The teary boy blinked up at her and held his arms up. She reached down and lifted him up, smiling softly as he stared at her with big, watery brown eyes. He sniffled.

"Muli bwanji?" She kept smiling, swaying him softly as he sat on her hip, "You all good?"

He opened his little mouth, "Moni."

Her smile widened, "Moni. Hi, little one."

His lips played with the idea of a smile.

"Kudya?" She asked.

He shook his little head.

"Hmm. Not hungry. Kugona?"

He shook it more emphatically. She poked him in the tummy, tickling him gently, elicting giggles, "Well, I didn't really think you'd be sleepy."

She turned slightly, thinking of wandering out with Zee to the nurses station to entertain the staff, and saw Karev standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the door frame.

"You right there, Robbins?"

She looked at him blankly, "Uh, yeah?"

He looked at Zee, then at Arizona, "Dude. Just adopt one already."

"What? I don't want kids." She replied automatically.

Alex's eyebrows shot up to his hair line, "Could've fooled me."

Arizona scrunched her eyebrows together, looking baffled for a minute as something ran through her mind. She looked from Zee to Alex and back again.

"Walk away, Karev."

Alex smirked and wandered off.

Arizona sat down heavily in one of the chairs for visitors and looked down at Zee, who looked up at her happily, tears gone.

"Huh."

####

Mark eyeballed Callie over their take away coffee from the coffee cart.

"You've been on, what, six dates?"

Callie screwed he eyebrows up, "You've kept track?"

Mark leant back in his chair in the Attendings Lounge, empty at two am, and continued giving Callie 'the look', "Six dates or not, Callie?"

Callie rolled her eyes, "Yeah, we've been on six dates."

"And no sexy time?"

"'Sexy time', seriously?"

"No love of the lesbian nature?" Her spoon hit him on the cheek, "You know, you throw an awful lot of things at me. Terrible housemate etiquette."

"So is drinking all the milk and not replacing it. We all have our faults."

"You do that, too."

Callie sipped her coffee, lifting her feet up onto the coffee table, "Child."

He narrowed his eyes, "Don't you try and change the topic. Sex. Yes or no?"

"Why is it always about sex with you?"

"Ah. We've had this conversation before. That means no." He looked at her closely, "Yup, no coy grin you're trying unsuccessfully to hide. That's a no."

"Okay, no. No sex."

"Kissing?"

"Am I being interrogated?"

"Yes. Kissing?"

Callie opened her mouth as the door opened and Teddy wandered in and flopped on the couch next to Callie, leaning back, putting her feet next to Callie's and closing her eyes with a heavy sigh. Callie looked at her, confused.

"You're not meant to be on dreaded nights like Sloan and I."

Teddy didn't even open her eyes, "Stuck in a triple A. Spent hours and hours in there. He died."

"Oh, Teddy, I'm sorry." Callie leant her hand on Teddy's leg, "Did you want me to call your husband for you." The smirk came through in her tone. Mark snorted into his coffee.

Teddy kept her eyes shut, "Not. Funny. He is. Not. My husband."

"Well, he is."

"Not in that way. " Teddy cracked one eye open, to glare at Callie, "Ass." She shut it again.

Mark was grinning, "Never mind her, she's trying to deflect from my prying about her dates."

Teddy lifted her hands behind her head, nestling back and getting comfortable, looking asleep, except for the fact that she spoke, "You mean Mel? The chick I caught her making out with against your door last week?"

Callie groaned and flopped back, throwing her arm over her eyes. Marks grin grew.

"Making out. excellent."

Callie didn't remove her arm, "Seriously, Sloan. Why are you so invested in my love life?"

"I'm involved. I have to live through you and your single life." Callie breathed out a laugh from under her arm. "So, how did you meet this 'Mel'...if that is her real name."

"You're ridiculous. Jaime introduced us. She thought we'd hit it off."

"Oh, and hit it off you did!"

Teddy's voice suddenly chimed in, "Like I hit it off with your mum?"

Both gawked in silence at Teddy, who they had assumed had fallen asleep.

Callie slowly grinned, "Oo. 'Ya mum' burn. Nice."

Teddy grinned, eyes still shut, "I try. It is stupidly late."

####

Arizona's desk was cluttered. Actually, cluttered was a nice term. It was messy. And she was not coping with it. She was a Type A. Her desk needed to be ordered, neat. Yet somehow, it was a chaotic mess and she couldn't even find her pen.

She was drowning in paper work. The surgeries the clinic had to do never let up in a country in which she was one of the only sources for this kind of health care. They were constantly backed up with potential patients, the day a month ago where they'd been quiet one of the only ones Arizona could think of. There were so many pediatric surgeries to do, and with the extensive post op care some of them needed, it led to a constant back up of cases. Sadly, many patients stayed longer than usually required, orphanages unable to provide the level of care some of the kids would need after surgery, further backing up the clinic.

She was lucky that she still had enough staff, volunteer programmes and international rotations largely staffing them, while some of the higher ups came purely out of their desire to make a difference. And her clinic was truly making a name for itself, its mission statement and achievements catching eyes. Charities and grant boards practically threw money at the clinic, especially with the various programmes it had introduced, including the immunisation programme and HIV outreach.

But at times, she felt like they needed fifty clinics for the amount of surgeries that existed, and more were appearing every day. The waitlist was long, and she hated that.

She leant back in her chair, glaring at her desk, when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She swivelled around to see Karev hovering in her doorway.

"What's up, Karev?"

"Ah, can I have a word?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, come in."

He walked in and took a seat.

He was nervous. Something she rarely saw with him anymore. He had become confident in the OR and with the staff, and around her, while still maintaining respect for her as his superior. He was still a massive douche at times, but he was getting there. He was good in paeds.

"Whats up?"

"I, ah, I had an idea."

She looked at him expectantly.

He swallowed, "Well, I know we're always backed up with surgeries. We do as many as we can as often as we can with our recourses, but sometimes it's not enough, yeah?"

She nodded.

"Well, I was thinking. I head back in a month. What if we took a bunch of some of the sickest kids, the ones that would need the longest post op care and follow up, and they came to Seattle and we fixed them there?"

Arizona tilted her head at him, thinking for a minute. He sweated in his chair, "It's a great idea, Karev. But have you got any idea about the money involved in something like that? And the red tape-it's incredible how hard it is to take kids from one country to the next for medical care."

Alex nodded, "I thought of that. I know that Webber wanted to create more of a, kind of, link, with the Clinic? What better way to do it? If he funded some of it, sorted out pro bono OR time and surgeons, helped with the red tape?"

Arizona nodded slowly, "You think he would be on board?"

"Webber is desperate to bring some positive media to the hospital. Guys drowning in bad press."

"Pro bono and OR time wouldn't be enough."

"I think he would provide some money, he seemed committed to the affiliation crap. And you were saying the other day, that there are grants out there, all the time, to apply for?"

"There are. And everyone seems on board with the clinic at the moment."

Alex had stopped looking nervous, he leant forward, suddenly eager, "If we bought them over, say, a month after I left, I could have everything over there ready. I could take case files and prep the teams."

Arizona grinned slowly. This could actually work. "And it might help with the Chief Resident position?

Alex shrugged, not at all concerned she'd figured out that would be a factor, "Maybe."

She nodded, "Alright, Karev. Let's make this happen."

####


	22. Chapter 21

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **You guys are amazing. Thanks for the ongoing reviews :). And thanks for your patience with getting these two together. It will happen! I'm just enjoying the little side plots I accidentally created.  
This was written during/immediately post multiple night shifts. Every time I re-read it I find new typos/completely wrong words written in that make no sense. I apologise if I didn't catch them all-some make me sound like I have Yoda's grammar ;)

This is the link to the song that has been in my head since I started this fic:

hmm it wont let me put a link in. Anyone know how? Until then, youtube "Of Monsters and Men Little Talks". Little Talks is the song :)

You should check out more of the band, they are incredible.

**Chapter Twenty One  
Realisations**

"So, who were you thinking?" Arizona looked at Alex over the bowl of food she was holding.

"Me?" Alex looked at her dumbfounded, rice almost falling out of his mouth.

"Gross. Close your mouth, Karev." He closed it, "Yes, you. Who were you thinking?"

They were seated in her office, both eating reheated rice in the dead of the night. Four weeks on, and the ball was rolling on the plan to get some of the kids to Seattle. Webber was on board, Alex having contacted him to lay out the plan, and had agreed to donate pro bono time and effort. Who had then contacted Arizona, excited, who had responded in kind but ended the conversation on a 'call Karev though, Chief. This is his baby'. Running a clinic had seriously given her some balls when it came to talking to authority figures.  
Grants were applied for and word was they were being supplied with financing. Other places had been contacted for donation of time and services for the project, from the private air line to get to Seattle to SES transport services to get them from the clinic to the air ports. The programmes that organised their volunteer staff had a crew on board to be there during transport. Everything was coming together.

Arizona and Alex had been trying to sit down the past week to hash out some finer details, but surgery had ran long most nights and there had been post op complications that led to too many late nights. A case of DIC in a ten year old girl had meant neither had slept for fourty eight hours as they fought with their limited resources to keep her alive. She was hanging on post ongoing transfusions of cryoprecipitate and FFP, and they'd decided to celebrate by finally sitting down, eating and having a conversation.

So finally, at the end of the week at two am, they were seated with barely luke warm rice, Arizona cross legged on her swivel chair and Alex sprawled over his like a teenage boy.

"I thought you'd decide."

Arizona blew on her rice, more out of habit than needing to cool it, "It's your idea, Karev. You must have thought about it."

He nodded slowly, "I've had some ideas."

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised, "And?"

"The spina bifida case, Zola? The boy with no sternum, definitely. Maybe the sickle cell kid."

She nodded, "Any others?" She could tell he'd more than thought about it. He had the list ready to go.

"I was thinking the polio case, for sure. Kid needs rods in his legs and rehab that the clinic could give, but not to the extent he could get back home. He could be running, with what we could give him. Asha, the ten year old with abdominal injuries post running over the explosive device."

Arizona nodded, eating some more of her rice.

"So, you're still thinking we send them over four weeks after you get back?"

"Yeah, that gives me time."

"Right, and what are you going to get done over there?"

He rolled his eyes, "What, don't trust me?"

"You need to liaise." She raised her eyebrows up at him, "Not always your strong point."

He scoffed, "I can play nice when I have to."

She just continued to look at him skeptically, chewing slowly.

"Alright, alright." He gruffly conceded, "When I get there, I liaise. I've got a meeting set up my second day back with all the Attendings and with the Chief to outline the cases and to present the case files."

Arizona nodded.

"Then I have meetings with each team individually, go over the treatment plans that you and I made up and they can add what they want, since we'll be getting specialty input. Then we meet two weeks after to see where they're at with their own treatment plans."

"Yup."

"Then two weeks later, the kids arrive."

She nodded again.

"I got this, Robbins."

She gave him a smile, "I know you do."

She just wanted him to realise he had this. She wasn't sure if it had occurred to him how much this move could make his career. It was why she was trying to sit back and let him take point. Not always her strong point, but something she knew was important in a teacher, and something she knew Karev needed.

They chewed in silence, Alex trying to act like her 'I know you do' hadn't made him feel something. He resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment.

"So, Robbins. When you coming home?"

She looked up from her bowl in surprise, "What?"

He spoke slowly, as if she was deaf, "When you coming home?"

She shrugged, "Uh. I hadn't thought of a date yet."

"You must've. Even if it was a year away, knowing you, you'd have started organising crap for it, right? Getting a replacement as senior surgeon, making sure your rosters were set for the next months to keep it flowing after you left."

She eyeballed him, "You pay more attention to details than you let on."

He shrugged.

She sighed, "I was thinking of staying another year. But I don't know now."

He looked at her. Getting an answer from her could be like getting Christina to let go of a bottle of tequila after a night out, "So what you thinking now?"

She leat back in her chair, bowl balanced on her knee, "I was thinking maybe in a couple of months. Webber, well, Webber's assured me the Head of Paeds position." Alex's eyes lit up , which he quickly tried to hide by shoving two consecutive forkfuls of rice in his mouth. Arizona pretended not to notice, "Starks contract's up in a couple of months and the chief said he'd prefer to not get an interim replacement, but that he knows I have responsibilities here." She hadn't told anyone about her and Webber's deal about the head of the department job until now.

"So when then?" Rice sprayed out of his mouth. She gave him a disgusted look that he replied to with a shrug.

"I don't know, Karev. I love it here."

"Why don't you come back with the kids? That still gives you over two months here."

She tilted her head and looked at him, "That had occurred to me."

"So why not?"

"It would only give me the next two months to set the clinic up before I left, for one."

"So? You're anal as. You'd have it set up in a week if you needed."

She chose to take that as a compliment. "It'd mean I'd be coming back pretty regularly for the next year or two, at least."

He shrugged, "The chief wants to be connected with the clinic. He'd get over it. Maybe other surgeons could go over with you, really start working with the clinic, getting that sister hospital thing happening that he wants."

She had a far off look on her face, "Yeah, maybe."

"So. What you gonna do?" He asked it while staring at his rice, trying not to give away how much he really wanted to know when she'd be back at the hospital. After working at the clinic, with Arizona actually pushing him, the idea of going back to Stark made him want to hit something.

"I don't know, Karev."

She kind of liked the sound of being based in Seattle again, but still being able to spend time at the clinic. But it was so soon.

She picked her bowl back up off her knee and started eating again. They went back to talking logistics and lists of kids names, the attendings and residents they wanted involved.

The funding was sorted. They had patients. It was happening.

####

"So how's Eli?" Callie lifted her arm slightly off her eyes to look at Bailey, amused to see her response. It paid off. She went beat red and filled with indignance.

"What? Eli? I barely know the man."

Callie smirked and let her arm fall back over her eyes. She was sprawled on her back in the attendings lounge, Bailey drinking coffee on the opposite couch. Two piles of charts were heaped next to Callie, one pile considerably larger than the other. She'd thought as an attending she could shove all the paperwork at an intern, since that was what it had felt like they'd always done to her. But as it turned out, there was a huge amount that only an attending could cover, and she'd been slack as of late and needed to seriously get some paperwork done. However, she'd gotten bored an hour in to the time she'd dedicated to chart catch up and laid down for a quick break, which was how Bailey had found her a half hour later.

"Oh. Right. I regularly make those noises in on call rooms with men I don't know."

She heard Bailey splutter on her coffee and didn't need to look up again to know she'd be horrified.

"I was not-there was no-you know what, Torres? There was a time you would have."

It was Callie's turn to get indignant. She even lazily lifted her arm back up to glare, "Once. One time. And it was Mark, forever ago. I knew him, he wasn't a total stranger."

Bailey gave her her stony, one eyebrow raised look, "One time?"

Callie had the decency to blush, "I meant one guy."

"Mhmm."

Callie dropped back, this time moving her arms under her head so she could actually act polite and make eye contact, "Don't change the subject. I saw you sneaking off to an on call room. Twice."

"He's a friend."

"A friend who leaves you dirty notes in a chart."

Bailey's eyes almost fell out of her head, "You saw that?"

"Yup." Callie grinned, "And so did Sloan."

"I'm going to kill Eli. Inappropriate. That man is just-well, he's inappropriate."

"Yeah he is. Inappropriately hot!" Callie grinned at her, "Come on, Bailey. I'm impressed. He's a class 'A' hotty."

Bailey tried not to look smug, "Does anyone else know?"

Callie was going to tell her the truth: everyone knew. But one look at Bailey told her she wanted to stay in the land of denial, "Oh...no. Of course not. Just Sloan and I. And I'll make him keep his trap shut."

Bailey nodded once, "Good. The residents are too busy living at the hospital and being surgery crazy to notice anyway."

"Yeah, well, the race for chief resident is on." Callie closed her eyes, "They've all gone feral."

Bailey snorted a laugh, "Perfect word to describe them."

Callie gave a half smirk, "I thought so."

"I'm thinking it'll be Grey. It could be Yang, but now Hunt is choosing..."

"Yeah. Cristina is _pissed_ about that."

"I bet she is."

"Can you blame her? He effectively took her out of the running."

Bailey shrugged, "What was he supposed to do? Say no to the chief?"

"True." Callie looked at her, "You really think Grey?"

"She's a fit."

"Yeah. What with her mom and all. And she's a people person."

"You agree then?" Bailey sipped her coffee, bringing her feet up onto the coffee table in front of her.

Callie pursed her lips, thinking for a minute, "Grey could fit. Avery would, too."

"Avery? Boys all about his looks."

Callie laughed, "Thought you were in to that?"

She decided to stop teasing after she received Bailey's most severe glare.

They both turned their heads as they heard the door swish open and saw Hunt walk in. He stopped in the doorway and smiled at them.

"Ladies."

"Hunt!" Callie didn't even bother to sit up, "We were just talking about chief resident."

He groaned, "That's all anyone is talking about."

He walked in and went to the fridge, pulling out a container of food and sticking it in the microwave. He leant back against the bench, arms crossed, looking at the women seated in front of him.

Callie smirked, "That's what you get when you date a resident."

"True. I do need your recommendations soon. I'd like to know what you think."

They both nodded. Bailey tipped her coffee at him, "You'll get mine."

"Have a good think about it, though. There's a few dark horses."

Callie perked up, "Really, who?"

Hunt turned as the microwave pinged and pulled his food out, sitting next to Bailey on the couch, "I hear Kepners in the running."

Both women snorted. Hunt hid his amused grin,"Hey. Don't be so surprised. She's actually...suprised me. She's good in trauma."

Callie stopped her laughter, "Seriously?"

He nodded, taking a bite of his pasta, "Seriously."

"Hm."

"Anyone else?" Bailey liked gossip more than she would ever admit.

"I'm pretty interested in what Karev's got going."

"He's back in a week."Bailey supplied.

Callie looked surprised, "Already?"

"Yup. Karev, all grown up and changing African children's lives."

"Who'd have thought it."

"Not me. I thought he was a Neanderthal. I'd never admit it to him, but he's proved me wrong."

Hunt looked back and forth between them as they talked, "So thoughts on Karev?"

Bailey looked at him, "I need to think about my recommendation."

Hunt looked at Callie. She shrugged, "You could do worse."

Hunt nodded, taking another bite, "When do we find out what kind of cases he's bringing back with him?"

Bailey threw her takeaway cup into the bin, grinning when it swished in, "We have a meeting his second day back. Then it's game on."

"I'm kind of excited."

Hunt and Bailey looked at Callie.

"What?" She shrugged, "Kids who wouldn't normally get help, coming over. I heard a rumour I might get a polio case. It's like an ortho's wet dream."

They both made a face at the imagery.

"Is Robbins coming back, too?"

Callie looked at Bailey sharply, "What?"

Bailey leant forward and picked up one of Callie's charts, flicking through it, "I remember this case." She muttered, "Robbins? Is she coming back for the surgeries?"

"I, uh, I don't think so. She said something about maybe staying an extra year on top of the two."

Bailey kept flicking, "Well, it's been two years. I just thought she may come back with Karev, or for the surgeries. It'd make sense."

Hunt speared his fork into a spiral of pasta, "The chief said Arizona was putting Karev on point with this one, that it was his project."

Bailey shrugged, still staring at the chart, "Just thought it would make sense."

Both missed the stunned look on Callie's face. It hadn't occurred to her that Arizona may come back with Alex. For some reason she'd just accepted she'd be gone the extra year. Their emails had petered off, the odd one with a few lines of gossip sent every now and again. Besides her drunk phone call, which Arizona had teased affectionately in one of said emails, they hadn't had a lot of contact.

Callie swallowed, "I uh, thought she'd be gone another year," she said again.

Hunt finally looked at her and she schooled her expression into a neutral one, "Well, Webber said to me she had Starks job. He just doesn't know when she's coming for it. I think he wants to give her free reign with the clinic: he's got some plans for the clinic and the hospital."

Bailey flicked another page of the file, "Maybe she'll just come back while the kids are over here, help Karev with the surgeries then go back."

Hunt shrugged, "If she's got the job here though, maybe she'll stay."

Bailey frowned at something she read, "Well, she'll be a a relief from Stark. Never thought I'd say that about her and her crazy shoes."

The conversation switched as Hunt and Bailey started discussing the case Bailey was reading.

Callie drew her arm up and let it drop back over her eyes. She had a thousand charts to get through. And an ex that may or may not be coming back in a few weeks or a year or never. And she had a date in a few nights time with Mel, who she'd been on enough dates now to say they were dating.

The charts could damn well wait.  
####

Arizona had used to like airports. She'd liked the meaning behind them, picking up someone who had been gone from your life, or getting on a plane and heading off somewhere new, or maybe dropping someone off on an adventure.

She had developed an aversion to them since her brother died and they'd stood in a silent, echoing hanger waiting for them to unload his coffin. The aversion had grown since the day she'd said goodbye to Callie, sharing a hug that still sat with her.

Now, she was kind of neutral on the whole idea.

She stood with Karev, his bag already loaded on the plane. They were side by side, a foot of space between them.

"Now who am I going to boss around?"

Karev smirked, "You'll find someone quick enough. That new guy, Jacobs. He looked easily scared."

Arizona shrugged, looking sideways at him, "It's not fun when they scare easy."

"Whatever. You'll still enjoy it."

She shrugged her half agreement.

He looked ahead, watching the bustle around them, "You really should consider coming back." Arizona had still not made a decision, "It'd be, I don't know, kind of cool to see the project through. You could stand behind me hissing orders."

She tried to hide a smirk, "You going to miss me watching over you shoulder?"

He shrugged, "No." Yes. "You seemed to like the idea of being back." He looked at her sideways this time, "But what do I know?"

She rolled her eyes, turning to face him, "Go home, Karev," She smiled, "Show Seattle how hardcore paeds can be."

He picked his backpack off the floor, "Sure, boss." He nodded at her, and she at him. They grinned, and he turned and walked off.

She watched him take a few steps, hands buried in her pockets. He stopped and turned around, "You really should think about it."

And then he was lost to the crowd.

Arizona stood, people swirling around her. She wandered over to one of the windows overlooking the tarmac, staring at planes taxiing down the runway, lost in thought. She didn't leave for a long time, watching until she knew Karevs plane would've left, then still not leaving as she stood, gazing out the window.

It was a strange feeling, him returning to Seattle, back to a life she had become a part of, way back when.

Maybe she should think about it.

She got in a taxi and arrived back to the clinic and hour before she had surgery due. She wandered in, and greeted staff as she walked through the halls, ending up in a patients room. She smiled at the five month old in the crib.

"Moni, Zola."

The baby grinned, kicking her legs and gurgling.

Arizona leant down and scooped her up. Zola would be an inpatient until she left for Seattle in four weeks, her seizures and pain becoming an issue at the orphanage. She was an absolute delight, a baby that smiled at everyone and was delighted with anything anyone did-so long as her pain was managed. The carers at the orphanage had been delighted when they had learnt to hold her.

Arizona angled her in her arms the way she needed to prevent fluid to build up in her brain like it was second nature. She grinned down at the baby girl.

"Shall I take a plane ride with you, Zola girl? Or should I stay here and fix other tiny humans?"

He poked the little girls tummy and made her squirm in delight.

####

Lexie stood, stirring a stirfy on the stove and sipping from a beer with her free hand. Mark had never seen anything turn him on more.

He was going to marry her.

She looked across at him as he chopped chicken and raised her eyebrows as she caught him staring.

"What?"

He shrugged, "Nothing."

Not yet. He was not going to marry her yet.

Lexie hadn't long gotten past wanting to flee if they spent too many nights in a row together.

So, one day, he was going to marry her. Probably in about ten years.

For now, he'd made him self be content with watching her cook with a beer in hand and throwing him suggestive looks.

She made a face at him and went back to tossing the vegetables around the wok. He walked forward and used the knife to push the chicken into the pan, where it fell with a hiss, steam rising up. Lexie stood on her tip toes and kissed him.

He was a happy, happy man.

He heard Callies door click open and he looked up, his mouth dropping open.

He was also a man.

Callie was wearing a black, pencil skirt with a tailored red, incredibly low cut top. A neck lace hung around her neck, the tear drop pendant sitting in just the right place to draw your eyes to a very inappropriate spot. Her heels were red, her make up perfect; she looked like sex on legs.

Lexie looked up as Callie's door clicked, her eyes widening as her eyes automatically fell to her cleavage. She flicked her eyes to Mark, rolling them at the site of him open mouthed and staring at Callie.

Callie looked up just in time to see Lexie whack Mark in the back of the head with her wooden spoon. She smirked as Mark looked at Lexie in shock, who just sipped her beer and shook her head at him.

"What?"

Lexie rolled her eyes again and went back to her stir fry, looking over her shoulder to say to Callie, "You look, well, amazing. Going somewhere?"

Callie grinned as Mark rubbed the back of his head, "Date night. Mel's on her way to pick me up."

Mark grinned lecherously, "Someone's getting lucky."

He didn't see the wooden spoon coming again.

"Ow!" He glared at Lexie, rubbing his head again, "What. Look at her. It's true."

Lexie looked at Callie, "He's a pig, but it's true. You look awesome."

Callie grinned and spun around, "Date approval?"

Mark nodded, "Definitely."

Callie walked forward and put her purse on the kitchen bar top, going through it to check what she had, "Good. 'Cause I spent ages picking this outfit. I need a fun night out."

Mark looked at her with slight concern on his face, but decided to leave it. Work had been kicking all their asses lately.

A knock sounded at the door.

Callie grinned and made an "Eee"noise. Mark laughed at her, "Go. Have fun. Be home by curfew."

Callie laughed.

As she reached the door he called out, "Oh, and Callie?" She stopped and looked back, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He winked.

Lexie snorted "Right. That cuts out nothing."

Mark grinned, "Exactly."

Callie threw a smile over her shoulder at them both and opened the door. Mark and Lexie both leaned forward over the bench and peered over Callie's shoulder.

Mel stood, dark red hair swept of her face, blue eyes sparkling as she smiled at Callie, "Hey."

Callie smiled back, "Hi."

Mel stepped forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, "You look...wow."

"You too."

Mel glanced over Callies shoulder at the audience they had. She waved slightly, "Hi Mark, hey Lexie."

"Hey, Mel." They chorused, smiling and waving as one.

Callie looked behind her at them and shot them a glare. They ignored her and kept grinning.

Callie turned back to Mel, who looked amused, "Shall we head off where we aren't being gawked at?"

Mel nodded, "Let's. They're scaring me." She winked.

"Bye, you two!" Callie walked out and pulled the door shut.

Lexie and Mark looked at each other.

Lexie shrugged, "She's nice."

Mark nodded, "She fit in at Joes the other night. And judging from her walking out in Callie's boxers the next day, she fit in elsewhere."

Lexie raised her wooden spoon and Mark ducked just in time, "Ha! Missed!" His grin dropped as she flicked it forward and landed it on his chest. He raised his eyebrows, "Ow!"

"Well, stop being disgusting."

"Again, it's true."

"So she has the Mark Sloan stamp of approval?"

Mark shrugged, wandering over to take hold of the wok handles, swirling it to move the stir fry around, "Torres seems happy."

"You think Mel makes her happy?" Lexie leant against the kitchen bench, sipping her beer.

He turned around, "Too soon to tell."

Lexie grinned, "You're like a protective Dad."

"Yeah, well. She's been trod on a lot."

Lexie sipped her beer again, "There's talk Doctor Robbins is coming back."

Marks look narrowed, "Does Callie know?"

She shrugged, "She apparently said that Robbins is probably going to be gone another year."

"But she might not be?"

"I just heard Starks contracts up soon."

Mark turned back to his stir fry.

"Well."

####


	23. Chapter 22

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **I just want to write Teddy all day. I love her.

**Chapter Twenty Two  
Flight  
**

Karev had been gone three weeks.

Arizona sat on her chair, spinning herself her around using the tip of her toes.

She didn't miss him. He was Karev. He was obnoxious and annoying.

And they worked really, really well in the OR together and was a little piece of home and him leaving had kind of sucked. Because now, his idea of going back played around and around in her head.

She could head back. She'd spent the last three weeks doing from Malawi what Alex couldn't do from Seattle-which wasn't much, because they had everything organised before Alex had left. Mostly she was simply letting orphanages and families know when the kids would be leaving. Of the eight children, five were kids from orphanages. One of the attendants from each one would be going with the each child, while one member of each family would be going with the other three.

It was all happening in one week.

And now Arizona had an email that presented an interesting plan.

_Doctor Robbins,_

_I know it's been awhile-eighteen months, actually. But  
I've finished my residency and now have itchy feet in  
London.  
The clinic was the most rewarding place I've ever worked.  
I was wondering if you had a place for a more permanent  
surgeon? I've been offered a job here, but if there was  
one available with the clinic, I'd drop everything and  
be there tomorrow. My fiancé is a nurse and would  
follow-to be honest I think she would go without me, she's  
that eager.  
Hope to hear from you.  
~Waters  
PS I hope your pool playing abilities have improved._

So there it was. Step one in giving her the opportunity to go, if she wanted. A permanent replacement, who had worked here previously. Who she knew was a great surgeon and who would liaise with her. Who she could trust to keep everything running smoothly at the times she wasn't here, and who she knew respected her enough to let her know when issues arrived, and to respect her position of head of the clinic.

Even if she wasn't going, she'd take Waters on.

She swiveled the chair a final time, trying to ignore the nausea from spinning one too many times, and stopped in front of her computer. She leant forward and tapped out a reply, hitting send.

####

Teddy looked at Callie from across the table, eyebrows raised as she watched Callie practically skull her beer. The bottle was put down with a thud, three quarters of the liquid gone.

Callie looked at her, "What?"

"Thirsty, Callie?"

Callie looked at the bottle then back at Teddy.

"It was a long day."

Teddy nodded, "Apparently." she looked at Callie intently, "Patient stuff, women stuff or PMS stuff?"

Callie cracked a smile, "None of the above."

Teddy nodded once, "Hm. Okay." She twirled her tumbler glass on the wood, playing with the water rings, "Going to make me guess. Boss stuff?"

Callie shook her head.

"Friend stuff?"

"Nope."

"You've grown a third nipple?"

Callie snorted, "No."

"Um, you're pregnant?"

Callie froze, her eyes wide as she stared at her bottle in front of her.

Teddy's eyebrows shot up, "What? You're _pregnant_?"

Callie looked up at her and grinned, "No. But you should see your face."

Teddy looked like she'd just pee'd herself, "Not funny, Torres."

"It was kind of funny."

Teddy threw a nut at her head, which Callie ducked, still grinning. Teddy finally laughed, "I'll get you back for that."

"It was worth it."

"Hm. Anyway, I give up. What's going on?"

"I spoke to my dad today."

Teddy grimaced, "Oh. Family stuff."

Callie nodded, taking another sip of her beer, "Mom was, of course, busy and unable to talk. It was the first time he'd called in two months."

"How'd it go?"

Callie shrugged, "Still minimal conversation. He asked if there was a man in my life."

Teddy rolled her eyes, "Of course he did. And what did you say?"

"I said no."

"And then added 'but there is a redhead I've been seeing for two months now'?"

Callie shrugged.

"Not up to that conversation?"

"I made this big deal to him that I was bisexual and that I may date women still, but telling him that I am? I don't know-it just didn't come out. I was just glad he'd called me, I didn't want to ruin the conversation."

Teddy nodded. She leant forward and rested her hand on Callie's forearm, looking at her intently, "And that's okay. You didn't lie about her. You just weren't up for that today."

"It felt like lying."

"I know."

They sat in silence for a moment, a new round of drinks put in front of them.

"So, Henry pretty much told me he's in love with me without saying it."

Callie looked up quickly, "Seriously?"

Teddy nodded, "Yup. And now hotty trauma councillor is back and wants to take me to dinner."

Callie looked at her with her eyebrows raised, "seriously?!"

"Yup. Some ridiculous amount of time with zero romance and now I've got two of them."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so please, think of my dilemma when you're getting sad about yours. Seriously."

Callie laughed, "Poor Teddy. Two boys want you."

"It's harder than it seems!"

"Oh, obviously."

"Shut up. When's Mel getting here?"

Callie looked at her watch, "Any minute now."

"So, it's been a couple of months. The sex must be getting good?"

Callie raised her eyebrows at her.

"Come on, give a girl some details. It's been longer than I care to admit."

"You've been spending too much time with Sloan."

Teddy nodded, "Well, that's your fault. You live with him. When you run late we hang out on the couch. Though now you're both in happy couple land it often just ends up being me, on my own couch, eating popcorn and contemplating buying three cats."

"Why three?"

"Because then when two of them couple up, I'll still have one to keep me company."

Callie looked at her, "That is possibly the saddest thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, well, you've got to think of these things."

"You have two men who are after you. Two! Very attractive men."

Teddy shrugged, "I'm just keeping the cat option open. You never know."

Callie laughed, "I won't let that happen to you. We'll put you back on internet dating before that happens."

"Oh, God no! I'm never going back there. I'd prefer the cats."

"Fair call."

"Okay. Change of topic from my sad life, please. Did you hear the case Karev is bringing me back?"

"Boy with no sternum?"

Teddy got a dreamy look on her face, "Boy with no sternum. Who needs sex when you have that?"

"Exactly. Though wouldn't it be nice to be getting sex AND the no sternum?"

Teddy gave her a filthy look, "Why? Why would you gloat?"

"Well, I get polio legs to fix AND-"

"Finish that sentence and our friendship is over."

Callie shut her mouth audibly and grinned.

"Good girl." Teddy knocked back her whisky, barely making a face, "Now, thanks to you, I'm going to get drunk."

Callie raised her beer bottle up and they clinked them together.

Callie put her beer down and played with the label, "So, heard anything about Starks position? His contract is up soon?"

"No, I haven't heard if Arizona is coming back yet."

It was Callie's turn to give her a filthy look.

"What, Callie? That wasn't even subtle."

"I was only curious."

"Mhmm."

"Curious about what?"

Both whipped their heads to the left to see Mel slipping into the seat between them, a round of drinks in her hands.

Teddy widened her eyes, her look serious, "Mel. Callie has something to tell you."

Callie looked at Teddy, her eyes wide.

Mel looked nervous, "Uh, what?"

Teddy leant forward, her hand resting comfortingly on Mel's forearm, "Callie's pregnant."

She held the serious look for a second as Mel's look went from nervous to confused to freaked out in one second before Teddy burst out laughing.

Callie rolled her eyes, resting a hand on Mel's thigh, and Mel managed to smile.

Teddy leant back in her chair, triumphant, "Told you I'd get you back, Callie."

####

The van was swaying them from side to side. Most of the kids were asleep; it had been an incredibly long trip and Arizona was amazed at how they'd all been so calm. It was the first time in a plane for all of them, and their little eyes had been wide with amazement as they'd taken off.

They took the exit that would swing them towards Seattle Grace-Arizona had to remember to call it Seattle Grace Mercy West. Her palms felt sweaty and she wiped them on her jeans over her thighs. Which was strange, because she was freezing-two years in an African environment would do that to you-so why were her palms sweaty?

She smiled at one of the volunteers who had taught one of the older girls to thumb wrestle. She'd jumped on the idea and now the poor man would probably have RSI in his thumb from playing it the whole trip. They were still going.

She turned her head and looked out the window, watching the buildings fly past. It had been over eighteen months since she'd been back. The last time she'd been back had not been for the best reasons and now she was back for what bordered on permanency.

It all felt a little weird.

The last time she'd come back she'd had some of the best sex of her life.

She had meant to come back a bit more, but instead had found it was easier to wrap herself in her work and stay in Africa. Her parents had visited her over there, her father now retired and driving her mother crazy at home. 'I know he had a near death experience, dear, but couldn't it spark an interest in an outdoor activity instead of following me from room to room?'.

And if she was honest, she'd not come back because the temptation to see Callie each time would have won, and it wouldn't have been fair to keep doing that. It wasn't just the sex-being with Callie was just so, well, easy.

She was nervous. And excited. She'd be back in the hospital and putting down some roots. She was grateful, in a way, that she was going to get to ease into it. She'd be going back and forth from the clinic to the hospital every couple of months at first. The clinic would always be there for her to visit, and she'd always have a responsibility to it.

She'd called Karev the night before, barely realising she'd made the decision.

"I'm coming back."

He'd said a gruff, "Knew you would" and hadn't managed to completely hide the relief at the words. She called Webber after, who had listened as she'd listed her conditions-mostly involving being able to go to the clinic regularly, to be able to be there for up to four weeks at a time. He'd agreed, and told her to come to his office when she was back to discuss it all, and to discuss the plans they could make for the clinic, and for her department.

She had the feeling she was stepping into an amazing job.

She started to recognise buildings and shops and realised they were almost there. She looked across to Zola, who had been fast asleep since getting off the plane. She was now awake and looking right at Arizona, wide eyed and sleepy.

Arizona grinned at her, "Morning, baby girl."

Zola grinned.

That kid was cuteness personified.

She looked around the van, to where most of the kids were now awake, and smiled softly at them. She felt the van pull to a stop.

"We're here."

The volunteers all started gathering kids, unbuckling them and picking up the younger ones, helping the ones who could stand, do so.

Eight tiny humans, all about to have a future handed to them.

Arizona reached forward and unbuckled Zola. She heard the van door right next to her slide open, and she pulled Zola onto her lap and slid across the step, stepping out and blinking at the light, swinging the baby onto her hip in an easy motion.

Alex stood in front of her, looking ready to throw up. She grinned at him.

"Hey, Karev."

He tried to hide his nervousness under a smile, "Robbins. Hey."

The both turned abruptly to the six month old on Arizona's hip who had just squealed loudly. Zola was grinning and bouncing on her hip, waving her hands at Alex.

"Moni, Zoli."

Nurses and doctors surrounded the van and started to move forward to gather kids out of the van.

"You did it, Karev." She reached forward and rest a hand on his upper arm, "They're all here."

He got that look like he was going to throw up again. He ducked his head then looked back up, a smile on his face.

"Whatever."

Arizona took a couple of steps forward to get out of the way of the herd of people, Alex stepping towards the van with a wheelchair. She looked down at Zola, who was looking around her intently, staring at all the busyness. Arizona moved forward to stand near the wide double, glass sliding doors. She looked through them and saw they were at the side exit of the main lobby. If they walked in they could either walk through to the lobby or take an immediate left that led to a hallway that would take them down to the paeds wing.

Arizona felt her breath catch in her throat.

Callie was standing in the lobby.

Callie was standing thirty metres away from her.

She was in profile, her hair out, obviously dressed to go home. As Arizona watched, she pulled her jacket on, that ridiculously awesome leather one. Arizona watched as she leant down to grab the handbag she'd left at her feet. As Callie straightened, a smile over took her face.

Arizona knew that smile.

Oh.

A red head walked up, and as Arizona watched, knowing she should just make herself look away, she saw Callie's smile widen and the redhead leant forward and kissed her.

She stood stock still.

####


	24. Chapter 23

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Wow they were some interesting reviews to read through, thanks for that-and whenever I say thanks for reviews, I mean all of them and not just the ones that pat me on the back ;)  
I understand those that felt it is all too drawn out-and like I've said before, sorry about that, but it is a story I wanted to tell and it got through some issues I wanted to broach :). I liked reading people's opinions on the matter though.  
There was one point I just needed to address from a review, and after that you can all have the chapter (actually, I'm probably boring you, feel free to scroll down and have it now ;) ).  
_'your reviewers aren't very in depth they just give you what you basially want - A pat on the back but no real depth into their reviews. They are only reading the surface and as author you should at least try to take note of other reviewers who try to review more deeply even if it's not exactly how you feel'_  
I enjoyed reading the rest of the review, but I guess I found this bit a little presumptuous to say that those reviewers who write a few lines in a review of praise are only reading the surface of the story. How is it you know that? Just because they put a quick 'that was good' or whatever, isn't to say they've only looked at the surface of a story :). And isn't to say that that therefore means longer reviews saying that it needs to speed up mean more because they went in to more depth.  
The other bit was the bit directed at me about not taking note of the reviewers who review more deeply and disagree with me-I like reading those reviews. They've been interesting and made me take note of some stuff I hadn't realised was coming out. Just because I didn't change the story to fit it, doesn't mean I'm not taking note of them. The lengthier reviews have been a mix of liking it or disliking it-but I can't please everyone :), so I've just stuck with the story I've got mapped out. The thanks I've put for reviews is to all of them, not just the positive :).

Wow, that upped my word count. Sorry about that! Hope the chapter is worth it. Night shift brain has meant I'm awake at weird hours and therefore writing. Twenty two chapters in and _some_ of their issues sorted out and here we go...

PS What is tumblr? And a gif?

**Chapter Twenty Three  
Woah**

Arizona felt Zola's little hand smack her in the cheek. Even the six month old was trying to make her look away. She blinked once, trying to not stare as the kiss between Callie and some woman went on long enough that Arizona couldn't try and tell herself it was a quick peck between friends. She was still trying to force herself to look away, Zola's hand over one of her eyes, her sticky fingers almost poking it out, when the doors opened and she was finally forced to look away and at who was walking through it.

Derek Shepherd. He was grinning at her, "Doctor Robbins, good to see you're back. The rumour mill was split on whether you were coming."

She tried to calm her heart rate. Something that, as a doctor, she knew wasn't really physically possible. So instead she took in a long, calming breath and forced her mind to go blank.

"Doctor Shepherd, it's good to see you," She smiled, dimples out, "You still look as dreamy as ever." She even managed a side of cheekyness.

He gave the smile he gives when he's trying to be modest, "And who's this?"

Derek looked at Zola, his grin widening. Arizona swallowed heavily. Her heart was still thundering away. The calming breath didn't do much calming.

"This is Zola," Arizona shuffled the little girl on her hip slightly, "It's fitting you walked up to me, really-she's your case."

Derek grinned at Zola, his voice a few octaves higher as he spoke to her, "Well didn't I just luck out. You're just the cutest."

Arizona held her out, "Could you take her? Desperate for the toilet..."

He held his arms out and scooped Zola up, Arizona smiling desperately and faking a pee dance, "Sorry, Shepherd, gotta go."

He nodded at her and turned his attention to Zola.

Arizona walked quickly through the doors, unable to force herself not to look again and glanced up quickly as her feet carried her immediately to the left and through the door there.

At least they were only talking now.

She quickly entered one of the toilets, entering a cubicle and leaning heavily back against the door. She'd pee'd at the airport. She in no way had to pee.

She did need her heart to stop hammering, though. It was starting to make her nauseated. She took in a long, shaky breath.

Okay. She knew this was a possibility. She had even encouraged it. Callie was awesome, of course she was seeing someone. It was fine.

She was fine.

Arizona took a deeper breath. It had been two years since they broke up-eighteen months since she'd last seen her. Arizona had purposefully pushed a distance between them, to make it easier. Because who knew what could happen over that kind of time span?

She was fine.

Callie didn't even know she was back, as far as she knew. So Arizona would get her shit together, see Callie, and be fine.

They'd be friends. That's fine.

Maybe she'd just stay here a second more until her heart stopped hammering away.

And she needed to find another word besides 'fine'.

####

Callie grinned at Mel,"I so need a drink."

"Long day?"

Callie nodded, "Yeah. How about you?"

Mel shrugged, "Quiet, which is nice. My phone's been going off in my bag constantly. Jaimes pretty anxious for us to get there."

"Of course she is-we make the party."

Mel laughed, "You set a high standard, what with the dancing until four am last time. She's going to expect that every time."

"Sorry." Her grin showed she wasn't at all apologetic, "She made me promise it be a four am night again."

Mel rolled her eyes, "Of course she did. Nothing less for her birthday. She wants to go drunk bike riding."

"As an ortho surgeon, I have to say I don't advise we do that."

"After several shots?"

"I'll probably be leading the way."

Mel laughed loudly as Callie grinned. She glanced at her hip as he pager went off. She looked at Mel apologetically, reaching down to pull it out of her pocket, "Sorry."

Mel smiled and shrugged.

Callie looked at the pager and thew another apologetic look at Mel as she pulled out her phone and dialled in to the Pit. A quick chat later and she hung up, looking dejected.

"Mel, I'm sorry, my resident just called, they've got someone who's been in a crash heading for theatre in fourty minutes and need me on it."

Mels eyes widened, "Oh, crap. Are they okay?"

Callie reached forward and entwined their hands together, smiling softly, "Yeah, they're okay. They're stable, they just need me in for the op. Hunt would do it, but he's caught up in another case that's on its way in."

"That's good, at least." Mel stepped forward so they were almost pressed together, their hands trapped between them, "Can't say I'm not disappointed, though."

Callie grinned, "Me too. I'll make it up to you."

"Sounds like a promise."

Callie laughed and leant forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. She pulled back with a smile, "Go. Or you'll distract me and I'll never make it to surgery."

"Okay, okay." Mel quickly leant forward and stole another kiss before stepping back.

"Tell everyone I'm sorry! Especially Jaime."

Mel nodded and walked out to the parking lot.

"That's a nice ass."

Callie turned around and saw Mark standing behind her. "Stop trying to pretend you look at other women besides Lexie. I've told you, none of us buy it."

"I did so look at her ass!"

She rolled her eyes, "And now you sound five. A perverted five, but that wouldn't surprise me if you were like that. Now though? Now you're practically married to Little Grey"

"What does Mel do again?"

"Nice change of subject."

Mark shrugged.

"She's a diver for the police."

Mark grinned, "Hot. She must be able to hold her breath for awhile, hey?"

"You're a pig." She tried to hold her smile at bay.

"Ah, you're smiling, I'm right, aren't I?"

"No..."

"Torres. I'm proud

She looked behind Mark where a crowd was making its way through the side entrance and heading towards the paeds wing. Her eyes widened.

"Is that all the Africa kids?"

"Nice change of topic," Mark retorted, he looked over and nodded, "Yup, fresh off the plane with their big doe eyes."

"I forgot that was tonight," Callie murmured, her eyes looking searchingly through the crowd.

Mark watched her for a minute, eyebrows raised. When she didn't look at him and notice his expression, he decided to go for less tact, "You could be more subtle, you know."

She looked at him, finally seeing his raised eyebrows, "What?"

"You're looking for her."

She looked sheepish, "Well, I never got an answer to if she was coming back or not."

Mark nodded, watching her carefully as she continued to eyeball the side entrance, "Fair enough. She there?"

"I didn't see her."

He couldn't read her expression, "That a good thing or a bad thing?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. She'd only be back for while the kids are here, anyway. Then she'll fly back."

"Doesn't she have the head of paeds job?"

"No one knows when though, it's probably for ages away."

Mark nodded slowly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Her voice was high pitched.

He looked at her skeptically.

"What, Mark? It was two years ago. I'm fine."

"Okay."

She grinned and whacked his arm, "I've gotta go save a guys leg. And his pelvis. Apparently its crushed."

"Fine, leave and save lives. Whatever."

She smiled and walked towards the paeds entrance, deciding to use the stairs to get up to the next floor. The elevators were hell at this time-it could be worse than peak hour traffic on the freeway, all beds and visitors and shift changes.

####

Arizona washed her hands and stared at her reflection. She gave a quick nod. Face satisfactorily in a calm expression. She tried a smile. Right, smile prepared. She was fin-she was awesome. She'd dragged eight children to another continent to get them the health care they deserved. She was going to kick ass at making sure it happened.

She pulled the door open and almost walked straight into Derek and Zola. They all stopped in surprise, grinning at each other.

"Twice in one day, Robbins."

"It's almost like I'm back in the states, or something. Seeing so many faces I recognise." Arizona grinned and reached her hand forward to tickle Zola's tummy, who immediately grabbed hold of her hand and tried to pull it into her mouth. Arizona pulled it away, "You're cute Zola, but that hands just been on a toilet door. Not for mouths."

Zola grinned and turned to look wide eyed back at Derek. She patted his cheek with her hand and stuffed the other one in to her mouth.

Arizona watched the exchange, "She really likes you."

Derek shrugged, "I like her."

"That's good, you'll be operating on her brain soon."

Arizona heard the door open down the hall and turned to see Callie walk through the door, head down as she flicked through her phone. Arizona inhaled sharply, checked herself, and made sure her smile stayed on her lips.

Callie raised her head and slowed down, coming to a complete stop as she took in the sight in front of her. Shepherd, Arizona and possibly the cutest baby she'd ever seen.

Arizona.

Holy crap, it had been ages since she'd seen her. Her hair was long and feathered around her face. Her skin had a slight glow to it that Seattle had obviously denied her. And she was standing there, frozen in a smile with her eyes as wide as a deer in the headlights.

Who was she to talk. She probably looked the same.

They stared at each other.

Callie felt a flash of anger. Why hadn't she told her she was coming back? She deserved to know, didn't she? They still shared the odd email. So why didn't Arizona let her know she was coming back?

A small voice piped up in the back of her mind-_probably for the same reason you didn't just email her and ask if she was coming, rather than trying to not so subtly get answers out of other people the last few weeks._

Derek looked from Arizona to Callie, "Hey, isn't Callie on the polio case?"

Neither woman looked at him.

He may as well have thought it rather than said it.

Derek again looked from Arizona to Callie and back. He looked down to Zola, who was still staring up at him, a hand jammed in her mouth and drool all over her chin. She grinned around her fingers.

"Come on, Zola. Let's show you your room. These two barely know we're here, anyway."

With another curious look at the two, he wandered down the hall and around the corner.

It left two women standing in silence in an equally silent hallway.

Callie blinked and it snapped Arizona out of it.

She upped the ante on her smile, "Hi, Calliope."

Callie swallowed, "Hey."

Arizona tilted her head, "Um-surprise?"

Callie laughed; it rang out, bouncing against the walls. Arizona felt her pulse still hammering away. The TV screen during the documentary didn't do Callie's smile justice.

"Surprise indeed. We'd wondered if you were coming back with the Africa project going on."

Arizona let the stupid huge grin fade so she looked more normal, "Yeah, it was on the cards, but I only really decided last night."

"Wow. Quick decision."

Arizona's tilted her chin up, she smiled softly, "In some ways."

Callie nodded, "So when do you go back? When the last kid leaves? Or with the first?"

Arizona's face remained neutral, "Um, actually, I'm back, I think."

Callies eyebrows shot up, "Back?"

"Back."

"You think?"

Arizona smiled sheepishly, "I know."

"Oh."

They stood again, looking at each other.

Callie finally spoke, "What about the clinic?"

Arizona leant against the wall, crossing her arms, "I'll be going back pretty regularly for awhile."

Callie leant on the wall opposite her, a metre or so of packed air between them, "The Chiefs okay with that, what with you being the head of a department?"

Arizona nodded, smiling, "Yeah. He actually seems keen on it. I think he really wants to create a real link with the clinic. Karev thinks it's all about good press."

Callie cocked her head, "And what do you think?"

"I think its about press. And money-while he'll be having to spend some, the donations will increase. A budget will be created for it."

Callie laughed, her smile lighting up again, "Money and good press. Everything a man wants."

Arizona tried to control her heart rate. Callie's smile really was ridiculously stunning.

"Exactly."

Silence settled again.

"I, uh, I saw you in the lobby? With someone?" Callie's face twitched as Arizona spoke, "She looked nice."

Callie cocked her head again, a half smile on her face, "You could tell she was nice from the other side of the room?"

Arizona laughed, almost nervously, "You know what I mean."

Callie nodded, "She is. Nice, I mean."

Arizona swallowed, that smile back on her face. She went to say something as Callie's pager rang loud.

Callie stood straighter, looking down at the intrusive device, "Shit," she muttered, looking back up at Arizona, genuine regret in her eyes, "I've gotta go. Emergant surgery and all that."

Arizona nodded, "I need to settle the kids in. Some of them are pretty scared."

Callie smiled, "You'll help them."

Arizona echoed her smiled, remembering to breathe. They stood for a second, staring again. Arizona blinked, "Go. Be awesome."

Callie nodded once, and went to step away. She stopped and turned around, walking forward and before Arizona knew what she was doing, Callie was hugging her. Her arms were across her shoulder blades and back and Arizona brought hers up to wrap around Callie's waist and for just a second, Arizona's face was buried in the scent of her hair. _Coconut._ And then, Callie was pulling back.

"It's good to see you."

And Callie stepped away, walking down the hallway.

It took all of her to not look back.

Arizona slowly let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and fell against the wall again, letting her head drop back against it as she stared up at the ceiling.

Woah.

####

**Come on, it's not just me is it? Zola's such a cute baby. **


	25. Chapter 24

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Holy cow. You guys are all freaking awesome. Like, wow.

Um. That's all I've got in reaction to that :). 'Cause wow.

I've had to use Afrikaans as the language spoken, not Chewa, as there is no Chewa translator. Sorry about that!

Time line wise, in the show, they'd be getting married right now. I rained on _that _parade...instead we get surgeries on sick kids, and some other stuff in between.

**Chapter Twenty Four  
Moments.**

Arizona woke up staring at the springs of a bunk bed over her head. She had no idea where she was and her head was incredibly fuzzy. Her alarm was blaring from her phone under her pillow and she groggily reached under her head and pulled it out, switching it off. Six am Seattle time. This jet lag was going to be a bitch.

Springs. Bunk beds. She'd slept the night in an on call room. She could have gone to a hotel, but she'd wanted to be near the kids if they needed her, and she would have had to be at the hospital early anyway.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching out her back. She grabbed her bag and wandered to the bathroom. After showering in one of the staff room bathrooms and brushing her teeth, Arizona pulled her hair back into braids and secured them behind her head. She pulled a dark blue scrub shirt on and stood for a moment, looking at her self.

Who would have thought it was two years since she had been wearing this is exact outfit? Despite her skin having a touch of colour, she looked the same: what had really changed?

She blinked.

A lot had changed, in a way.

And in another, here she was, in scrubs, about to go on rounds and plan surgeries on tiny humans.

She grabbed her stethoscope, stashed her bag with her suitcases in the attendings lounge-she needed to sort out living arrangements-and walked her way to the paeds wing. She smiled at the nurses she'd met last night , all who were about to come off the night shift, all new faces, none she recognised from before. They all smiled back, some with expressions that made it look like they were ready to fall asleep, and some with the manic bounce of someone who had hit their second or third wind of a ten hour over night shift.

She wandered through the ward, reacquainting herself and poking her head into the rooms with her kids in them. Some were asleep, others wide awake, jet lag affecting them all differently. Zola was curled in a ball in her crib, bottom up in the air and fists tucked under her. Each room had a cot with a family member or orphanage attendant trying to get some sleep in it.

She eventually made her way to the chiefs office, early like he'd requested, and braced herself at the door to go in and discuss her contract, Starks up in three weeks and she to be overtaking it.

She was really back; there was so much opportunity in front of her.

So why the heavy stomach?

She couldn't think about Callie right now, she had to get through the day.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, entering the Chiefs office.

####

There was a small crowd gathered around the nurses station, residents and interns, waiting for their attendings to arrive to round. This was new, to be on a specialty, yet having all those specialties combined with paeds. Two specialties combined in one meant that everyone was getting competitive and wanting in on an assist.

Alex Karev stood watching them all murmuring in excitement. His arms were crossed and his expression neutral as he took it all in.

Arizona sidled up to him and his expression didn't change as she leant against the nurses station, her hands in her pockets. She noticed his shoulders relax slightly but other than that he barely acknowledged her arrival.

"All set?" She asked him.

He looked at her, swallowing, "All set."

She smiled, leaning forward suddenly and giving him a brief hug before pulling back, "You actually did it, Karev."

He shrugged with one shoulder, unable to completely hide a smile, "Yeah yeah. It's all rainbows."

She just kept grinning at him before turning and facing the small crowd. No one had really paid them any attention, but now she was facing them they all quieted down and turned their eyes to her. She widened them and shrugged, turning to face Karev. He looked at her, his eyes wide. She smirked and tilted her head slightly towards the crowd and raised her eyebrows at him.

'Go on' the look said.

He swallowed heavily. He'd thought she would take point.

Which Arizona had no intention of doing. Karev was all over this, this was his baby.

He turned, took a deep breath, and laid out the plan of who they'd round on first, who was with what Attending and reintroducing each case.

Arizona leant back, watching as if she was letting him go solo on a surgery the first time.

They walked into Zola's room first, Shepherd in there already. He was holding Zola, Mekala, her attendant, standing on and smiling at something he'd just said. Shepherd looked up as Arizona, Karev and an intern, Julie, walked in.

"Morning."

They all echoed his greeting.

"Karev, care to present? I hear I've got you on this case."

Karev nodded, "This is Zola, six months old, Spinda Bifida. Post an MRI early this morning, it's shown she has developed a Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus."

"And what does that mean?"

"She has fluid built up in the brain."

Shepherd nodded, shining his pen torch for Zola to play with. Arizona tried to hide her smile-he was clearly more happy playing with Zola then focussing on what Alex was saying. Arizona looked at Karev, "Mode of treatment?"

"Insertion of a shunt to help drain the fluid."

Shepherd spoke to Zola, "That's right, Zola. Make your head feel all better." He looked up at Mekala, "It'll postpone her spinal treatment, but it will be worth it in the long run."

Mekala nodded gratefully, holding out her arms to take Zola back. Arizona cocked her head as she watched Shepherd hand her back over almost regretfully.

Arizona followed quietly on the rounds for some of the other patients, Karev staying behind to prep Zola. She liased with Hunt for Asha's abdominal injuries and found herself impressed with a resident she'd not met before, Kepner, who had attempted to learn Afrikaans to talk to Asha.

Arizona slipped next to the two and whispered a pronunciation correction to Kepner, then spoke quietly to Asha, who had settled as soon as Arizona walked over.

"Sy is 'n dokter, soos ek sy is hier om jou maag te help. Nou waar is daardie mooi glimlag?" _She's a doctor, like me, she's going to help. Now where is that beautiful smile gone?_

A slow smile came over Asha's face.

"Daar is dit. Mooi." _There it is. Beautiful._

Kepner smiled gratefully at Arizona as she went back to trying to communicate with Asha.

Arizona turned to Hunt and the x-rays he had up.

"Good to see you, Hunt."

He smiled at her, "Great having you back, Robbins. Africa agreed with you."

She smiled, "I heard congratulations are in order."

He grinned, glancing down at his wedding band, "Thanks."

"Now, what do we have."

He watched her as she studied the xrays, her face looking grim.

"The ascites are already worse than what we saw in the clinic."

Hunt nodded, pointing, "And here? The enterotomies and strictures."

She crossed her arms as she looked at the images, "I thought Stark was on this case, too? Where is he?"

Hunt looked awkward, "He, uh, said that obviously you had it and he'd focus on more important things."

Arizona pursed her lips. Subtle.

"So it's me and you on this one, then?"

He nodded, "If you have the time?"

She grinned, "It's only been three days since my last and I'm itching to get in there. Too many world class surgeons here, I was hoping I'd get to get my hands dirty."

"Missing your clinic already?"

She shrugged, "Not too much yet."

"Five minutes with Stark and you will be."

She laughed, "People are making me think that's true."

Hunt grinned, "I have the feeling you'll hold your own."

They wound up with Asha, surgery booked for the next day, and Arizona wandered down the hall to the nurses station where she was meeting the next team for the final round of the African kids.

Arizona braced herself. She had managed, since waking up, to keep Callie and their first meeting after eighteen months completely out of her mind. She had had the meeting with the chief and rounds with her kids to think of. She had Karev and nudging him to lead the parts he could to do. She had getting through her first day back in a hospital she'd spent a few months being a part of years ago to manage. Plenty to try and occupy her thoughts.

But now, she was walking up to meet Callie and Merideth to take them to meet Sekou, the boy who had been left crippled post polio.

She found her heart hammering again; this was seriously not healthy.

She walked up to the desk, Callie standing with her back to her, chatting to Merideth and a woman Arizona didn't recognise, an intern hovering nervously a few paces away, awaiting instruction.

She caught the last part of their conversation.

The woman she didn't recognise was smirking at Callie, "It's your own fault. You didn't _have_ to drink at Jaime's party after surgery. Mel would've understood."

"Teddy, shut up. My head hurts." There was a playfullness to Callie's tone.

"Again, your own fault."

"You've met Jaime-and Mel. You don't say no to them when there's alcohol involved."

Teddy winced, "Yeah, I learnt that the hard way."

Arizona put a smile on her face. Callie had spent the night with Mel even after being called in to surgery.

_Which she can do if she wants._

"You guys ready?"

Callie and, apparently Teddy, turned around and Merideth looked up from the chart she was reading, closing it and swinging it out for the intern to take.

Callie faltered for a second then smiled back, "Hey." She nodded, "We're ready."

They looked at each other for a moment. Teddy looked from one to the other, amusement on her face. When neither broke eye contact she smirked and took matters in her own hands.

She stepped forward, her hand help up, "Hi, I'm Teddy Altman. I believe we'll be working on a heart defect case together?"

Arizona blinked and looked towards her, shaking Teddy's hand, "Hi, Arizona Robbins. I'm looking forward to it, I've heard good things about your work."

"Just good?" Teddy grinned.

Arizona laughed, "Amazing even."

"Good to know."

"Shall we?" Arizona smiled and stepped back as the others led the way. She tried not to breath in as Callie walked past and instead focussed on greeting Merideth Grey.

Callie, Merideth and the intern walked in before her and Arizona followed behind. Sekou, all of eight, was sitting up in the bed, looking terrified.

Callie noticed relief wash over his face as Arizona walked in last.

"Hallo, Sekou."

He gave Arizona a small smile, "Hallo."

"Het jy goed slaap?" _Have a good sleep?_

Callie looked to Arizona in surprise.

The little boy gave a shrug of his shoulders, "My liggaam sê dit is nie die nag, selfs al is dit heeltemal donker was!" _My body says it's not time to sleep, even though it's dark!_

Arizona laughed, "Dit sal beter raak, gou." _That'll get better, soon._

She looked at the surprised faces around her. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, "I was there two years, guys."

Callie blinked, "True. You're just-you're good at it."

Arizona shrugged, "Why would you live in another country and not learn the language? It's fun."

Callie turned to the little boy, upping the wattage of her smile, "How is he?"

Arizona smiled, "He's not slept." She turned to Callie, her arms crossed, "I tried to explain jet lag to them before we left, but I think they're only just getting the concept."

Callie smiled and turned to Grey, "Want to start?"

"This is Sekou, polio survivor. He's crippled in both left and right legs. We're going to be looking at heel cord and iliotibial band lengthening, tendon and muscle transfers and fusions of the foot which may possibly include fusions of his spine."

Callie nodded, "Further scans?"

"We'll get fresh Xrays and a CT."

"Great, Grey. Full work up."

Grey nodded, turning to look at her intern who scampered away, smiling at the little boy herself before following the intern to make sure he did it properly.

Callie looked at Arizona, "Can you tell him he's in good hands?"

Arizona smiled, arms still crossed and turned back to Sekou who was looking at them with wide eyes, "Alles wat ons oor gepraat het by die kliniek? Jou chirurgie? Hierdie dame is magic. Sy 's die beste-ons sal jy staan, klein man." _Everything we talked about at the clinic? Your surgery? This lady is magic at. She's the best-we'll have you standing, little man._

Sekou smiled.

Callie watched the exchange and tried to ignore how the other language falling from Arizona's lips made her pulse speed up.

####

Callie poured coffee into her cup in the Attendings lounge, flopping on to the couch and putting her feet up. She proceeded to guzzle it. She eyeballed the suitcases that were slid near the fridge in the corner, out of the way. She recognised them. She'd helped Arizona wheel them to the check in area at the airport.

She sighed and took another long sip.

She looked up as Mark walked in, his own coffee in his hand. He tipped it to her in greeting and fell in to the couch opposite her.

"How have people ever functioned without coffee?"

Mark shrugs, "Beats me." He smirked, "Regretting going out after your emergency surgery last night?"

Callie nodded, "Slightly."

"So, Blondie's back. How ya doing?"

Callie raised her eyebrows at him, "Wow, Sloan. Don't ask subtly."

"Since when have I ever done subtle?"

"Fair point."

Mark just looked at her, waiting for her to answer.

"I'm fine."

He raised his eyebrows.

"What, I am."

He sipped his coffee, eyes never leaving her.

She sipped hers, a staring stand off commenced and neither willing to blink first.

She lost when her phone beeped in her pocket and she looked down at it.

Mark grinned, "Ha! Talk. I won."

She rolled her eyes, glancing at her phone to see it had just been warning her of a low battery, "I really am fine."

Mark groaned and glared at her.

"Okay!" She caved, "It's weird!"

He nodded at her, encouraging her.

"It's-it's strange. She's back. I spoke to her last night."

"You talked?"

"Yeah, I ran into her right after I left you."

Mark sipped his coffee, "And how'd that mess go?"

"Why would it be a mess?"

He raised his voice, "'Oh, hi, I've not seen you since you stopped by eighteen months ago for a night of hot, hot sex after we broke up six months previously because you had to run off and be a super hero!'"

Callie narrowed her eyes, "You have really got to stop mimicking me."

"I'm an excellent mimicker."

She rolled her eyes, "It wasn't that bad. It was-I don't know. Short. Awkward. Really nice to see her." She leant back heavily on the couch, "She's back for good, you know? Why wouldn't she have told me that. She could have emailed me."

Mark shrugged, "She should have."

Callie ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup, "I could have asked her."

"You could have."

She looked up at him, "Stop being annoying."

He shrugged again, "I'm agreeing with you."

"A rare occurence."

"You tell her about Mel?"

"She brought her up."

Mark looked confused.

"She saw us in the lobby on her way in."

"Ah. How'd that go?"

"My pager went off before we could say a lot. It was fine."

"So she's back."

Callie nodded mutely, staring at a spot on the wall, "She's back."

"And you were with Mel last night?

Callie looked at him, "Where else would I have been?"

He held his hand up in surrender, "Just a question."

"I met them out after surgery."

"And you two are good?"

She was staring distractedly at the wall again, "Yeah. We're good."

"All happy, and stuff?"

"Yeah. We're comfortable. It's nice. I like her."

Mark nodded slowly. Comfortable at two months? He watched her for a minute, knowing she'd talk again eventually.

"Arizona and I could be friends, right?"

Mark looked dubious, "Ah..."

"What? Ex's can be friends. We were only together for four weeks?"

"What does four weeks have to do with anything?"

"Well, it's been two years since then. We could be friends."

Mark still looked dubious, "Friends?"

She looked at him, "Yeah. Friends."

"Maybe, Torres."  
####

Arizona flipped her fifth shot glass up side down on the bar top and watched the small amount of liquid inside slowly slide down the glass.

She was drunk.

She was okay with that, because that was her plan. She would be drunk one night, then she really would get her shit together and tomorrow, in the bright light of a hangover, would figure out her plans for her department, and for Africa and for how to be Callie's friend. Maybe she'd do a trip to Africa sooner than intended and get some space.

She laughed out loud as she downed a sixth shot.

Because after two years of being in another country and only twenty four hours back in Seattle, she needed space.

She slammed the glass down and flipped it over to join the line of others.

What was she thinking about?

Oh, yeah. So tomorrow, tomorrow she'd face all of that.

Tonight though, she was damn well going to be drunk in a bar on her own, head to the hotel she'd booked into and try to sleep before she acted like a rational adult tomorrow.

She felt entitled to do that.

Mark Sloan entered the near empty bar at ten thirty pm on a Monday and looked around. He'd finished up late on a burn victim and figured he'd grab a beer, his and Callie's fridge being empty, and have a chat to Joe, before heading home to the warmth of his bed and Lexie. His eyebrows shot up as he saw Arizona at the bar, a line of upside down shot glasses in front of her and a glass of half drunk white in her hand.

She looked ploughed.

He sidled up and slid on to the bar stool next to her, elbow leant on the bar top as he appraised her. She didn't look at him.

Joe walked up, "Beer, Sloan?"

Mark glanced at him, "A beer and three shots thanks, Joe."

Arizona finally looked blurrily at him.

He shrugged at her, "No one should be this drunk alone. It's just sad."

She nodded her agreement and went back to contemplating her wine glass.

Marks drinks arrived and he took two shots in succession and then had a long sip of his beer. He saved the third, sipping on his beer as he sat looking at Arizona.

She finally spoke, "I've missed good white."

He just continued to look at her.

She glanced sideways at him, "The wine here is good. I don't know why people bag out American wines. I haven't had a good white in two years. Though I've kind of burnt my tastebuds and can't enjoy it properly now."

"Six shots will do that."

She sighed heavily and gave the shot glasses a filthy look, "Yeah. I'm going to regret those."

"Don't you have surgery with Derek in the morning?"

She shook her head and almost fell off her bar stool, "Nope. Well, yes. But not until the afternoon. And I'm just more observing. I perk up by the afternoon, anyway."

He looked at her confused. She rolled her eyes and turned so she was sitting side on to the bar, facing him, wine glass resting on her knee.

"I wake up wanting to die, experience a four hour hangover and then I'm fine."

He looked dubious, "You don't get all day hangovers?"

She grinned, "Nope. Never have. I'm awesome like that."

"I kind of hate you."

"Most people do when they hear that."

He laughed, "It kind of fits, though, with the whole 'perky' thing."

She shrugged, "What you gonna do?"

He reached forward and took his third shot, chasing it with his beer and smiling gratefully when Joe put a second beer in front of him and wandered away.

Arizona suddenly looked at him suspiciously, swaying slightly in her seat, "Why are you talking to me?"

She raised his eyebrows as he took another sip, "Uh-because you're the only one in here."

She looked surprised and looked around the bar, seeing it was pretty much empty, "Oh. When did that happen?"

"Probably around your fourth shot."

"Probably." She eyeballed him again. The blonde was kind of funny when she was drunk, "But why are you talking to _me_?"

He didn't pretend to not know what she meant, "You're alone at a bar. I felt kind of bad for you."

"You're Callie's best friend."

"Doesn't mean I can't talk to you."

She nodded, "Okay." Arizona put her elbow on the bar and rested the side of her head on her hand, looking at Mark, "I had to leave."

"Huh?"

"For Africa."

He nodded, "Yeah?"

"I couldn't not go and change tiny human lives in a third would country because of a four week long relationship."

"No one thinks you shouldn't have gone. Not even _Calle_ could make an argument for you to stay."

She nodded, "It was a crap situation."

He echoed her nod, "It was." He had genuinely felt for both of them. "But now your back?"

"Now I'm back."

He studied her face, "And Callie's seeing someone."

Her face barely changed, but he saw a tick go off near her eye and watched as she took in a long breath and let it out slowly, a practiced movement.

She nodded, "And Callie's seeing someone."

"And it bothers you."

She looked at him sharply, "Does not."

He just raised his eyebrows at her, looking at her skeptically.

"I didn't want her to wait, I wanted her to move on."

"So why are you sitting drunk in a bar and moping about it?"

"I, Mark Sloan, do not mope. I'm not moping. I'm...contemplating." Mark raised his eyebrows, impressed she could get out a word so big. She grinned at him, "Right? That had alot of sylalabals."

"You just gave syllables more syllables then it should."

"Shh."

"So why are you moping?"

She glared at him, "Contemplating."

"Fine, what are you contemplating?"

"I'm processing the stupidity of my reaction to Callie's girlfriend lady."

"You expected her to wait."

Arizona shook her head adamantly, "No. I didn't."

Mark raised his eyebrows at her.

"I didn't!"

"So you're angry she moved on?"

Arizona shook her head again, "No. Not at all. That's one thing I am definitely not. I'm not angry at her or annoyed at her or even hurt by her-she had every right to date."

"But you kind of expected her to wait?"

"I didn't expect her to wait. I-I ended it, straight away, to be kind. We were together _four_ weeks, we couldn't carry a long distance relationship across countries when neither of us would be able to make it to see each other."

Mark nodded, "They were good reasons to end it."

"I know that." She looked at her wine glass, "So I know I have no right to feel like this."

"No, you don't."

Arizona nodded her agreement.

"So whats the problem?"

"In my head, I still kinda wanted to see were we could go when I got back. But I couldnt _say_ that, then. And now she has McHotty-I have no right. At all. Which is why I'm sitting drunk in a bar with _you_ having a moment, rather then storming around being angry." She took a sip of her wine, "Because I wasn't allowed to think that,, even in the back of my head. So I have no right to go storming."

Mark was silent.

"But I don't want her back, because I'm not allowed to. But I do. But I didn't want her to wait. But I wanted to see where we could go when I got back...ya know?"

"You are one giant ball of contradiction, Robbins."

Arizona groaned and dropped her head on the bar top, "I know. Trying _being_ me right now."

"So you're just having a moment?"

Arizona nodded her head against the bar top.

"And tomorrow, you'll do your dimples thing and pretend to be okay?"

She nodded again, still face planted on the bar top.

Mark rested a heavy hand on her shoulder, "Everyone's entitled to a moment, Robbins."

"That's good. 'Cause I'm having one."

####


	26. Chapter 25

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **Thanks again guys :) Glad most are still enjoying it! Your reviews are amazing and are what keep me going :)

This chapter auto-corrected Ellis to Alice! Thanks to those that pointed it out-fixed now :)

**Chapter Twenty Five  
Friends**

_"I'd like to be friends, Arizona."_

Could there be a more depressing sentence uttered?

Arizona had gotten very good at avoiding Calliope Torres. She wasn't proud of it-somehow, it was easier than having to stand next to her and feel the heat radiate off her arm, or stand across from her and smile simply. The times she couldn't avoid seeing her, she was polite, civil. She smiled, and she laughed and she asked after her day and nodded when Callie told her minor details.

It kind of killed her.

She was used to seeking her out, to enjoying her company. Even after two years, it felt unnatural to not talk to her, to not reach out and touch her hand. The drive that had had her seek Callie out in a dirty bar bathroom and not only speak to her, but kiss her, was still there, floating around in the back of her mind; even with all their history. Something had made her go after Callie back then, and that something didn't seem to have gone anywhere after two years away in another country.

She thought it would have lessened, that is would have dulled. Normally Arizona was incredibly good at putting up boundaries -things were how they were and there was no point trying to cross lines. Callie was involved; you accepted it, smiled and moved on.

This was lingering.

In some ways, she didn't know why she was surprised. Even in Africa, four weeks after leaving, six months after leaving, a year on, eighteen months on, she'd sought Callie out when she or the other woman was hurting. Tangible, written or a verbal connection-any of them, she'd sought.

There was simply something about her.

But Callie was involved; and Arizona would put all of those feelings in a box and move on. She was not the kind to be the pining girl skulking around corners and staring wistfully at a woman. The thought of that was just, well, depressing.

So, she avoided her. She knew she'd have to stop eventually, that she'd maybe even have to attempt a friendship with her, but for now she was content to avoid.

And it would seem it was her avoidance that had had urged Callie to walk up to her when her back was against a wall one day and simply state, "I'd like to be friends, Arizona."

Arizona had plastered a grin on her face and uttered, "Of course I want that, too, Callie."

They'd stared at each other a minute, Callie nodding, and before the moment could get any more awkward, Callie had been paged away to a broken something and Arizona was left wanting to drop her head forward on something repeatedly. All that stopped the compulsion the intense desire to _not _have Mark Sloan come along and think she spent the majority of her time face planted on tables 'contemplating' (ie, moping).

So, apparently, she had to stop avoiding Callie situations. Five days of it and it was just going to get harder, anyway. Too many consults with the Africa kids, too many ER consults. Arizona had to suck it up and see her.

Five days she managed to purposefully try and keep Callie out of her life.

The final straw, besides Callies Horrible Sentence, was a very brief conversation with Karev.

They were standing over a six year old doing a laparoscopic appendectomy. Arizona's eyes were glued on the screen the entire time and didn't leave it once the entire conversation.

"Dude, whats happening with you and Torres?"

"What?" She rotated her wrist, "I'm never near her?"

"Yeah, and that's weird. You disappear whenever she's around."

"No, I don't."

"Uh, yeah, you do."

"Stop being perceptive, Karev, it's creepy."

"Whatever."

If Alex Karev was noticing, then she needed to pull it together and befriend the woman.

####

Callie blew on her coffee as her and Teddy walked away from the coffee cart and took a grateful sip. She had a pile of paperwork to get through if she wanted to get out on time; and she wanted to get out on time-she had a cinema date and was looking forward to a night out with Mel. Work had been busy, for both of them, and since Jaime's birthday they'd only had the odd catch up in the five days since they'd woken up at Callie's and Marks, Jaime passed out in their bath tub and Mel with a new piercing in her ear none of them could really explain.

Jaime didn't celebrate in a small way. Callie had a hazy memory of drunken cycling and was just grateful there were no broken bones.

So a night out at the cinema, with some food and good company, sounded just like what she needed.

She'd spent the last two mornings in the gallery watching Arizona work first with Altman on the boy with no sternum, who was under going his first surgery on his heart defect, and then with Hunt on one of the first operations on Asha. There was someting...incredible about watching Arizona operate. She commanded the room, she had an authority without taking over.

And thanks to watching, she was behind on her paperwork and had to play catchups.

So instead she was having a quick coffee with Teddy.

She'd contemplated trying to find Arizona to see if she wanted to get a coffee, but figured the woman would be no where to be found, as she had been since their first meeting in the hallway in eighteen months. Beyond any conversations in rounds, she barely saw Arizona. She didn't know if it was because she was busy settling in, liasing with the clinic in Malawi, meetings with the Chief and managing Stark, or if she was purely avoiding her. Callie didn't know which it was, but found herself keeping an eye out for the woman-paging her unnecessarily for paeds consults to the pit when it was purely ortho or wandering in to check on Sekou more than she really needed to. Knowing she was in the same building, Callie found it insane that she'd had about as much contact with her as she did when she was in Africa. Well, that may have been exaggerating it slightly, but it felt that way.

And that made no sense to her. They got along perfectly well, their emails and phone conversations had proven that. Surely they could be friends? So yesterday, after watching her work an Asha, Callie had breezed up and simply stated it.

And Arizona had smiled pleasantly like it wasn't strange that Callie felt the need to express that and said she'd like that, and Callie had been paged away.

She took another skull on her coffee and turned to see Teddy staring at her as they walked slowly across the lobby.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, just I could have announced to you I'd caught syphilis off of Derek Shepherd and I don't think you would have heard me."

Callie laughed, "Sorry." She made a face, "I hope that's not true though."

"'Course it's not. It was herpes." Teddy smirked, sipped her coffee and directed them to the stairs.

Callie groaned and looked at her, "We're heading to the ninth floor?"

"We'll walk it slowly. It's good for your ass."

Callie scowled and started the walk up at a glacial pace.

"So, where were you just then?" Teddy grinned mischievously, "Thinking naughty thoughts about Mel?"

Callie rolled her eyes. Not so much. "No. I was just thinking."

Teddy eyed her over her coffee cup, "Thinking naughty thoughts about a blonde paeds surgeon?"

"What?! No. No, definitely not. No."

Teddy looked like she wanted to believe her, "Speaking of, have you spoken to her?"

Callie took another sip and hoped that would power her up for the eight floors they still had to go, "No, not really." She shrugged, "I've barely seen her. You operated with her yesterday, yeah?"

Teddy nodded, "Yeah, and I gotta say, paeds surgeons? Definitely hard core."

"Yeah, she's kick ass with a scalpel."

"How is it? Having her back?"

"Why do you and Mark insist on asking me that?"

Teddy shrugged, annoyingly chipper and not out of breath four flights of stairs in. Callie felt ready to keel over.

"Because. It's weird. You were kind of hung up on her. And now you have Mel. And now Arizona's back. Must be weird?"

Callie looked genuinely affronted, through the panting and using the rail to support herself up the stairs, "I was not hung up on her."

Teddy chose to not look back at her with the expression that was currently on her face, "Okay. Still though, weird yeah?"

Callie was silent for a moment and Teddy wondered if she was having a coronary. A quick glance back showed she was still persevering with the stairs and purely contemplating the question.

"It is. Weird, I guess. I don't know." Callie stopped on the last lot of stairs, coffee in hand, and looked up at Teddy who stopped and turned to face her a few steps up, "I'm seeing someone, who I really like. So it is weird having Arizona back." She shrugged, "But it was all two years ago. That doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it?"

Teddy cocked her head at her, "Friends?"

"Yeah. We can have a friendship."

Teddy's face held a very similar expression to Marks when Callie said the same thing, "Yeah, maybe."

Callie nodded and started climbing again.

They pulled open the door to the ninth floor and Callie went to say something to Teddy but instead ran straight into her back as Teddy stopped dead, apparently having almost run into someone on their way to the stairwell.

"Teddy! Hey!"

Callie knew that voice. She peeked her head over Teddy's shoulder.

"Calliope. Nice meeting you both on the stairs."

Arizona was standing, looking fresh and perky, friendly smile across her lips.

Teddy laughed, "Yeah, dragged her ass kicking and screaming up them."

Callie punched her discreetly in the lower back. Teddy responded with a sharp elbow. The two of them took a step backwards and Arizona followed them in so they were all standing on the ninth floor landing.

Arizona stood with her hands in her pockets, smiling at them. She took in their appearance, Teddy with a slight flush to her cheeks and Callie, red faced and grumpy looking, "You walk all the way from ground floor?"

Teddy grinned and looked at Callie, "Yup."

Arizona laughed, "Nice work." She pulled her hand out of her pocket and looked at her watch, "I hate to almost collide and leave, but I've got to get down to a consult."

Callie stepped in front of her as she went to go down the stairs. Teddy noticed how Arizona kept her smile on her face, taking a barely noticeably step back out of Callies space.

"So. Arizona. I was thinking about this friends thing."

Arizona nodded at her, almost encouragingly.

Teddy looked between the two of them, trying to take in subtleties and almost wishing she had popcorn. She sipped her coffee instead and watched them with wide eyes.

Callie smiled, "Maybe we could get a drink at Joes? Have a friend date?"

Teddy whipped her eyes to Arizona's face. Her expression didn't change at the word 'date'. She looked closer-or did it? Did her expression harden?

"Sure, Calliope. That'd be great."

Teddy tried to pick it up in her tone. It gave away nothing. This woman was good. She looked to Callie.

"Great."

They looked at each other. Teddy looked between them. She was about to remind them that they actually needed to organise a time and place but though it'd be better to let them struggle it out themselves.

Arizona's pager went off. Teddy rolled her eyes. Of course it did.

"I have to take this."

Arizona looked at them both apologetically and was gone.

Teddy stared at Callie, eyeing her over her coffee as she sipped.

"Oh, shut up, Teddy."

####  
Arizona managed to avoid Callie another twenty four hours before Callie found her alone in the Attendings lounge, a forkfull of salad half stuffed into her mouth. Well, she hadn't purposefully been avoiding her, because she'd decided she wasn't doing it this time. Fate just seemed to be shining down on her that twenty four hours.

Callie looked at her intently, lab coat sleeves pushed up passed her elbows and arms crossed across her chest. She asked her to grab a drink that night and Arizona, half masticated cheese and tomato in her mouth, could only make a muffled noise Callie took for consent.

"Great, seven at Joes?"

And then she breezed out. Breezed was the only word for it, really.

Arizona was left with tomato seeds about to burst out of her mouth, looking wide eyed at an empty room.

Well, she was having a drink with Callie.

####

The bar was warm around her and Callie took another sip of her wine. She'd gotten in ten minutes early and had meant to just order them both a drink and slip into a booth and wait, but had found herself taking small, nervous sips and now her glass was almost empty. She looked around, noting the bar was half full, mostly with people from the hospital across the road. She looked up as she heard the door open and tried not to stare.

Why did Arizona's legs have to look so good in knee high boots and such tight jeans?

She took another long sip and forced a smile on her face, waving at Arizona as she caught her eyed, a grin spreading across her lips.

She slid into the booth across from her and they smiled at each other.

"Hey."

"Hi. Thanks for the drink." Arizona spied Callies glass, "Seems I have some catching up to do."

Callie laughed, "I got here a little early. Surgery wrapped up."

Arizona smiled over her wine glass, "That's good."

They sat for a moment, looking down at their glasses, looking up and smiling almost awkwardly if they caught each others eye.

The third time it happened they both gave a laugh.

"This is stupid."

Callie drank the last of her glass of wine, "It really is. Okay." She swirled her glass and eyed the waitress for another round, "Ice breaker. We've not had a real conversation in awhile, so I'm just going to throw a topic maker out there." Arizona nodded encouragingly, a smile playing around her lips as she sipped her white wine, "Stark? Love or hate. Discuss."

Arizona laughed, "To be honest? I've barely had anything to do with him. Though he does seem to keep stealing some of my surgeries."

Callie furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"

New drinks were placed down and Arizona smiled her thanks at the waitress, "He literally steals them. I'll go to scrub in and he'll be scrubbed in and starting already-he'll look up and be all 'I've got this, Robbins. You probably have more important things to do'. It's a little creepy."

Callie looked at her dubiously, "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I don't know what his game is. His contract is up in two weeks and he's leaving for some hospital in New York."

"He's trying to pretend he has one up on you. Which he clearly doesn't."

Arizona shrugged, "Can't blame him. I pretty much stole his job."

"From what I heard, it was offered to you like you'd never left."

"True. I won't be sad when he's gone, though."

Callie winked, "No one will be."

Arizona smiled and finished her first glass, pushing it to the side and pulling forward her second, "So, how's the Attending world? I saw your research was published," Arizona grinned at her, "In _three _articles. That's amazing Callie."

Callie flushed slightly, but couldn't wipe the shit eating grin of her face, "Yeah, that was a highlight. There's a rumor going around." She leant forward and lowered her voice, "Want to hear it?"

Arizona leaned forward in her seat, "Only definitely."

"I'm getting a grant to further the research, to maybe look at using the cartilage in sports injuries, focusing on knee replacements."

Arizona grinned, "Callie, that's amazing. Is it all confirmed?"

Callie nodded, "Basically, yeah. The chief let me know a month ago. In a few months my budget will be increased and I'll have a whole research team and probably start trialling it all."

Arizona cocked her head to the side, the grin on her face softening. She looked intently at Callie.

Callie flushed again, this time not looking so cocky. She leant back in her seat and brought her wine to her lips, "What?"

"You. You sound almost...suprised."

Callie shrugged, "Well, I kind of am."

"You shouldn't be." Callie raised her eyebrows at that and sipped her drink. "You're amazing. Of course your research is cutting edge."

Callie shrugged, "Anyway." She sipped quickly, "That's my news. Hows the clinic? You must be missing it."

Arizona leant back in her chair, her shoulders relaxing, "I am." She ran her fingers over the base of her wine glass, "I'm enjoying being back. It's busy, and with the kids over it's like having a taste of the clinic with me."

Callie watched her, "But?"

"But I do miss it. It's only been just over a week, so it's not suprising. I just liked the atmosphere there, the way it all worked. The focus on paeds, the team." Arizona looked at her and smiled, "It was fun, and challenging." She tilted her head slightly, "You'd like it."

Callie raised her glass and sipped again, "It sounds like the chief will be asking if anyone wants to go over there?"

Arizona perked up, literally, in her chair, "It's so awesome, he's so actually _in _on the plan to make it a sister clinic. With financing, and donations and equipment and staff. He's okay with my flying in and out for awhile to settle it all. I can't believe what I'll be able to do with it."

Callie grinned, Arizona's excitement infectious. She watched her raise her glass and wrap her lips around the rim. She licked her own, "You must have so many plans."

Arizona nodded, "You've no idea. And the less and less jet lagged I become the more I think of."

"Was the jet lag really that bad?"

Arizona finished her wine and put the glass down and actually laughed out loud, "I fell asleep at two in the afternoon while waiting in the chiefs office for him two days after I flew in."

Callie tried to hide her smirk.

"You can laugh, Callie. I had my head back in the chair, passed out cold. I'm fairly certain I snored. And there was definitely drool."

Callie burst out laughing, "In the chiefs office?"

Arizona nodded, grinning, "Yup. And you know how you can see into his office from the cat walk? Well, I'm fairly certain half the hospital saw."

"Okay. Jet lag is crap. Got it."

"I swear it wasn't so bad going _to _Africa. Anyway. It's horrible."

"I do recall finding Karev dozing against the scrub sinks a few days after he flew back in?"

Arizona indicated for more drinks to the waitress, "Oh, yeah. He was horrible when he flew in. Times usual Karev gruffness by twelve."

"How did he go over there?"

Arizona nodded, "Well. He's got a lot to learn. But he's also got a lot of raw talent. He did some managing over there, of the team and kids. He actually did really well." Callie raised her eyebrows. Arizona looked at her, "You're surprised?"

"Not about the raw talent." Callie looked up and thanked the waitress as they received their third glasses of wine, "But about the managing. He's never been great with people."

Arizona shrugged, "He seems to be learning."

"He's pretty much only ever been good at talking people into bed."

Arizona made a face, "Ew. Not something I need to imagine." Callie's mouth ticked and she tried to hide it by taking a sip of wine. Arizona noticed and jumped on it straight away, "What's with the face, Callie?"

Callie's eyes widened, "What?" She shrugged, "What face?"

Arizona's mouth dropped open, "Oh my god! You slept with Karev!"

Callie looked around the bar wildly as if expecting everyone to be looking. No one even glanced their way, "No! I-shh!"

Arizona stared at her, her mouth open, "You so did."

Callie huffed and fell backwards into her seat, her arms crossed over her chest.

Arizona closed her mouth and tried to hide her smirk behind her wine glass.

"Arizona?"

"Mm?"

"Are you laughing at me?"

Arizona shook her head, her smirk strengthening.

"You're laughing at me."

She finally let out a short laugh, "Callie! Come on! Karev? Really? Tell me this was a long, long time ago?"

Callies eyes widened, "This was like, years and years and years ago. Way back when."

Arizona smirked more, "Still doesn't make it any better." She sipped her wine, "Karev!? Really!?"

While she found it hilarious, knowing Karev had touched Callie made her stomach kind of coil. In fact, she kind of wanted to hit him with a brick. Not that she had any right to feel that way, but the feeling was still kind of there nonetheless.

"I was-it was forever ago. I was young and dumb. No one was ever supposed to know."

Arizona snorted, "Too bad your face gives everything away."

"It does not!"

Arzona raised an eyebrow at her, "Callie, you can't hide anything."

"I can, too." Callie looked at her, head tilted to the side, "I have lots of secrets, Arizona."

Arizona, for some reason, felt her mouth go slightly dry.

They passed another hour over another glass of wine or two, the chat focussing on Arizona's clinic, the finer details of Callies research and general hospital gossip.

_"Teddy is _still _married to the tumour guy?"_

_"Yup-and now he _and_ hot trauma councillor want her."_

_"I thought he left."_

_"Well, he's back, and he wants her."_

_"He better hope he didn't miss his boat!"_

_They changed the conversation quickly._

And:

_"So Meredith and Derek are talking about adopting the spina bifida baby?"_

_"Her names Zola, Callie. And yeah, they really are. Shepherd fell in love the second he saw her."_

_"How are they going to do that? Isn't there, like, huge amounts of red tape?"_

_"The red tape doesn't end. But I spoke to some of the orphanages over there, it actually is happening a lot more than we realise."_

_"That's awesome."_

_"Yeah, you wouldn't believe the amount of kids over there, Callie."_

To:

_"Adele has _Alzheimer's!?_"_

_"Yup. And Shepherd got her into his trial."_

_"seriously, though. She has Alzheimer's?"_

_"Yup."_

_"And Ellis Grey, who Webber had an affair with, also had it?"_

_Callie nodded._

_"And Ellis Grey's daughter is now helping run the trial that could save his wife from the disease that killed his lover?"_

_Callie nodded again._

_"This hospital is messed up."_

_"You're telling me."_

They ended up out the front, hovering outside the bar, both pleasantly tingley from the wine.

"Where are you staying?"

"A hotel not far off. I've put in some applications to a few places, I"ll hear tomorrow."

Callie had a warm fuzzy feeling only brought on by the perfect amount of wine.

"Wanna call a cab to get you from mine? By the time we walk to the apartment, it'll be almost there."

Arizona nodded and pulled out her phone, calling the cab as they turned and started the walk up the street. She hung up, "It wont be long, it's apparently a quiet night."

Callie nodded. Not suprising on a weeknight.

They walked side by side, reaching Callies apartment in silence. They turned to face each other.

Arizona smiled at her.

Callie echoed it.

"I had a nice night."

Arizona nodded, "Me too. Most it's felt like actually being home since I got back."

Callie cocked her head and looked at her, "That's nice."

Arizona dipped her head, then looked up the road as she saw the cab approaching.

"Cabs here."

Callie turned and looked as it pulled up to them.

Arizona smiled at the taxi driver through the window and indicated she'd be a minute.

"I'll see you at the hospital?"

Callie nodded.

Before she knew what she was doing, she stepped forward and hugged her. Arms wrapped around each other and Arizona felt Callie's face pressed into her neck. She inhaled deeply, felling words spill out against her skin.

"Have a good sleep, Arizona."

Arizona pulled back to look at her, their hands resting on each others forearms, legs still pressed close. Callie's eyes were soft and Arizona lifted a hand up and brushed a piece of hair behind Callie's ear. She let her hand linger, resting against her cheek.

Callie's eyes closed slowly, and when she opened them again, Arizona didn't know how to read the emotion there. Her eyes flicked to Callies lips and she hovered, hand pressed against her skin, bodies pressed together.

"Arizona."

Her name came out like a plea; but Arizona didn't know what for. She looked searchingly into Callie's eyes and Callie shook her head, once.

Arizona swallowed.

"I-I should go." Callie didn't make to move back.

Arizona nodded.

Callie raised her hand up and wrapped it around Arizona's, bringing it softly down off her face. She held it to her chest. Arizona could feel Callie's heart, racing under her palm.

"You, uh, you left, Arizona." Callies voice was low, soft, no anger, "You left, because you had to. And we ended. And now you're back, maybe for good, but-I'm involved. With an awesome girl-and-and..."

Arizona nodded, "I know."

Callie looked at her with so much vulnerability it made her gut ache, "Can we be friends?"

Said so differently from the first time, Arizona tried to not let her breath catch. She tried to remember to breathe.

She nodded again. She dropped her hands and stepped back. The wine made this easier. She smiled, "Of course we can."

Callie looked at her, "Yeah?"

Arizona still smiled, "Yeah."

"I really did have fun tonight." Her voice was still so soft, her smile genuine.

"Me too. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Callie nodded.

Arizona slipped into the taxi, her head falling back against the seat.

She tried not to groan.

####


	27. Chapter 26

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **1) You guys are awesome, thank you so much for all the feedback. Every review is such a pleasure to read 2) Not once has my spellcheck ever autocorrected Ellis to Alice but it did then :/ awkward-all fixed, thanks for pointing that out! 3) sorry about the spelling errors last chapter (and when ever they're apparent), it was stupidly late after work and I just wanted to get it up 4) Did I mention you're all awesome? 5) I'm really glad most seem to love Teddy. She's so much fun to write-to the reviewer that said she missed her on the show-me, too! A lot. I wonder if they'll ever have her kind of, drop in? 6) I've had "shalala kiss the girl" stuck so badly in my head since reading Lisa's review I hummed it at work and passed it on and had it stuck in everyone's heads ;) 7) is anyone good at making pretty images for a story? 8) I maintain that if you don't like the plot of something, you can always stop reading ;) 9) this chapter ended up really long. My bad. As did this A/N. 10)...Oh! You want the chapter...right...enjoy the friend zone! Not sure Arizona is.

**Chapter Twenty Six  
Drama**

Callie sighed heavily as she leant her forehead on her and Marks apartment door. She dug in her pocket for her key, slipped it into the lock, pushed her head off the door and opened it, walking in and shutting the door behind her as quietly as she could.

She needn't have bothered.

Mark and Teddy were seated on the couch, each with a beer, several empties on the coffee table. They were looking at her like she was the most exciting thing to walk through the front door in years: both wore similar expressions, eyebrows up to their hair lines, looking at her intently. Teddy even leant sideways on the couch, trying to look behind Callie as if she was hiding something behind her back.

Callie stopped dead and raised her eyebrows at them. Both faces fell in disappointment.

"Uh-can I help you guys?"

Teddy straightened up and looked at Mark, who looked at Teddy sideways, sipping his beer.

"May as well have just gone to bed."

Mark nodded his agreement, both turning to look back at Callie, who was looking at them, bewildered.

Teddy took in her expression, "What? We wanted to see how you'd enter the apartment."

Callie crossed her arms and looked confused.

Mark shrugged at her, "Either you'd fall through it, drunk and half naked with Arizona all over you."

Teddy added, "Or you'd enter, door slamming open, screaming at each other and crying."

"Or you'd come bursting through, all alone and sobbing."

"Or you would have called Mel to relieve some sexual tension and you'd end up against the door and wouldn't even notice us sitting here."

Mark grinned, "That was my personal favourite."

Teddy backhanded him in the chest, neither taking their eyes off Callie, whos eyebrows had, somehow, risen even higher.

She finally spoke, "So you two were, what? Just sitting here, getting drunk, waiting to see what state I'd come home in?"

Teddy nodded, "Pretty much. We wanted to witness the drama."

"The lesbi-drama. It's always the best kind." Mark sipped his beer again.

"And you just sat, making up scenarios on how it would happen?"

Mark shrugged again, "Most we just took from the L Word."

Callie and Teddy both looked at him.

"What! You're the one that made me watch it."

Callie smirked, "I made you watch _one_ episode."

"I may have watched some more of your DVD's." He sipped his beer again, "Maybe."

Teddy and Callie both smirked harder.

"Okay, I may have watched all of them." He tried to hide his embarrassment, "That Jenni's a freaking psycho."

Callie walked through to the kitchen and grabbed a beer, walking back and sitting in the arm chair across from the duo.

"Yes, well, my life isn't an episode of the L Word, thanks, guys." She opened her beer and leant back in her chair.

"Sometimes, it kind of is."

Callie raised her eyebrows at Teddy, "Says the woman who came back from the war to profess love to her old army buddy who was already involved and who's now married to a man she didn't know with a terminal disease to give him her health insurance, when said man is now professing love and her _old _flame, a hot trauma councillor sent to counsel us all post a gun man rampaging our halls, is now back, also professing love, creating a well thought out love triangle." She took a sip of her beer.

Teddy rolled her eyes and Mark laughed. Callie turned on him, "Don't even get me started on you!"

He quickly sobered his expression and Teddy smirked at him.

"Okay, so maybe all our lives are like a dramatised TV show."

Callie shrugged, "Mine is fine."

Both people on the couch returned to their previous position of staring at her, eyebrows raised, faces amused.

"What, it is!"

Neither broke their look.

Callie sighed, "Okay. It's like an episode of Days of Our Lives."

"So, how was drinks? Why is there no drama?" Teddy sipped her beer, settling back into the couch to look at her.

"It was just drinks with a friend."

"You and Robbins?" Mark grinned, "No drama?"

Callie shrugged, "It's true. Just drinks."

"What, no pining looks? No near misses?"

A look flashed over her face and they wasted no time in jumping on it.

Mark sat up straighter, "There! What was that?"

Callie scowled and sipped her beer, "Nothing."

"Spill, Torres."

"Nothing! There was nothing."

Teddy snorted, "My ass there was nothing."

They both stared at her.

Callie sighed, "There was a moment, when we were saying goodbye, I thought she was going to kiss me."

The both sat up straighter.

"We hugged and then it went on too long, and she brushed my hair off my face."

They both leant forward, eyes wide.

"She kind of, just gave me this _look_, you know?"

If they leant any further forward they'd fall off the couch.

"And then I told her I just wanted to be friends."

They both deflated and leant back in their seats.

"And she got in her taxi and went home and I come back to the double act that is the two of you. Because Arizona and I are just friends."

They looked at each other once, lips pursed, then looked back at Callie, trying to keep a neutral expression.

"What? Why do you both look like that whenever I say Arizona and I can be friends?"

"Look like what?" Teddy looked like she'd sucked on a lemon, she was trying so hard to keep her face straight.

"Like that!"

Mark shrugged, "We don't look like anything. You say you and Robbins are friends, then you and Robbins are friends."

"We are."

They both nodded.

"Okay, you are." Said Teddy.

"Stop that!" Callie glared at them.

They tried to look innocent.

"Stop what?" Mark asked.

"Agreeing with me in a way that shows you disagree with me. We are friends. I'm seeing someone."

Teddy looked at her intently, "Yeah, you are."

"Arizona and I broke up two years ago."

Mark sipped his beer, "And now Robbins is back."

"So?"

They both just looked at her. If you baited Callie long enough, she'd spill her guts like a drunken cheerleader. She was a talker.

"Okay, so she's back." And there it was. They both settled back in their seats and watched it happen, "She's back after two years and I'm seeing someone. It's been two years, we can be friends-and besides, we were only together a damn month! I'm not a horny teenager, I can control myself. And I _like_ Mel, we have fun-just because Arizona's back doesn't mean I should drop everything and run after her." Both widened their eyes, watching the torrent spill forth. It was better than they could have hoped for, "Besides, who knows how long she's back for? Sure, she's signed a contract with Webber, but she had before and she disappeared for two years. She's still involved with the clinic, who's to say she's not just gonna stay here a few weeks then leave again for Africa?" Callie took in a deep breath, thought for a second and added "And, yeah, I'm seeing someone. A nice someone, who it works with. So we can be friends." She finished, almost lamely.

Teddy and Mark both slowly nodded.

Teddy bit the bullet, "Do you love Mel?"

Callie raised her eyebrows at her, "It's only been two months."

Mark shrugged, "What does that have to do with anything?

Callie looked from one to the other, "It's been two months."

Teddy cocked her head at her, "Sometimes that's enough."

"I like her."

They both blinked at her.

"How did you feel about Arizona after the four weeks you were together?" Mark asked her the million dollar question.

Callie glared at them. She'd had enough.

"Arizona and I are friends."

They both looked at her, eyes wide.

"Seriously! Stop with that damned look!"

####

Three days on from the night they had drinks and Arizona felt she had being Callie's friend down pat. She stopped avoiding her, she tried to make herself relax around the woman and let herself make jokes and laugh where appropriate and they chatted idly or discuss Sekou's up coming operations. Her, Teddy and Callie had all shared coffee at the coffee cart. It was nice, in a way, having a sense of friendship. Teddy was as funny as Callie had said in her emails.

She made herself keep her eyes trained on Callies face and to not look after her when she walked away and stare at her ass. She made the mistake of doing that once and turned around to see Teddy staring at her across the hall, a smirk on her lips and her eyebrows raised.

At least it hadn't been Mark.

So Arizona busied herself with settling into her new apartment, a small one bedroom ten minutes from the hospital she'd managed to score. The clincher had been the colour scheme in the lounge and bedroom-a wash of yellow and blue pastel, the subtlety of which almost made her drool. Her furniture had arrived that morning from storage, something she was greatly relieved about because the borrowed blow up mattress she'd slept on, courtesy of Derek Shepherd, had been a novelty for about thirty seconds.

Heading into two weeks of being back, and Arizona felt like it was kind of coming together. It was still surreal-sometimes she woke up and found herself missing the haze of the mosquito net around her bed, or the noises that had occurred outside the bungalow: movement of families on their way to markets and children yelling. She'd woken her third night in Seattle in a panic, the screaming of a siren invading her dreams, the noise so foreign.

All of her kids were doing fantastically, all going into there second or third operation, for many their final, and all making incredible progress. The adoption paperwork had been put forward by Derek and Meredith for Zola and both were never far from Zola's room, the baby thriving under their attention. Arizona had written them a personal reference, as well as a medical one. She hoped they were prepared for the potentially long road in front of them.

She was back into the swing of operating in the huge teaching hospital, and to sharing the work with other Attendings, especially gods like Teddy and Owen. She found she liked working in a team again, and not being the only surgeon to always take point, bouncing ideas of them and putting in her own input. Though she found she still loved the surgeries she was in on on her own, with a resident, usually Karev, working beside her, learning and taking every opportunity to get their hands on a scalpel.

And with the race for chief resident practically at the finish line, fourth year residents every where were desperate to get their hands in a body cavity. Hunt had been left with the responsibility to decide and he would be announcing it any time now.

He'd sidled up to her just yesterday when she was looking at some x-rays hung up on the light room.

"Asha's films?"

She'd nodded.

He'd studied them for a minute, "Three more surgeries?"

She had pursed her lips and tilted her head as she looked at the films, "That's what I thought, at first, but I was thinking we could make it two. If we ligated here," she had indicated on the scan, "and potentially placed a tap for the ascites while in the first op and fixed the adhesions when the fluid was drained, we may only have to go in a second time, not a third."

Hunt had raised his eyebrows, "I'm impressed."

Arizona shrugged and he had turned to look at her.

"Robbins. You're new here."

She'd looked at him with raised eyebrows, "In some ways."

He'd chuckled, "Okay. You re-new here. You were gone for two years, and obviously a lot changed with the merger and, well, everything."

She then nodded and turned to face him, arms crossed, a smile playing on her lips, "Okay. I'm new."

"I'd be interested to hear your perspective on who would suit Chief Resident. I hear you held the position yourself at Hopkins, you've worked with a lot of the residents since getting back and you're going to be the head of your department."

She'd looked sideways at her x-ray then back Hunt, "Who's seriously in the running?"

He ticked them off on his fingers, "Grey. Avery. Yang. Kepner. Karev."

Nodding, she had thought for a minute, "They wouldn't follow Kepner well, two weeks back and I can tell they'd walk all over her. Which is a shame, because I think she'd suit the position. Yang would miss surgery too much-I've never seen someone with more raw talent when you put a scalpel in their hands," Hunt had puffed with pride, "She'd get distracted chasing surgeries, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but a hard thing in a chief resident. Avery would do fine." She had shrugged, "Everyone likes Grey-she's a natural leader and doesn't seem to know it, which means she leads subtly-a good trait."

She'd paused and Hunt had raised an eyebrow at her. He wanted her thoughts on Karev-he was leaning towards the guy and she'd spent six months with him in Africa. He'd come back calmer, more together. "And Karev?"

She cocked her head at him, "Karev's a jerk." Hunt laughed out loud, "Something I'm personally working on." She'd smiled then, dimples popping, and he found himself realising why Torres had looked at her so dreamily two years ago, "But getting those kids over here? And working out the teams, and working _with_ the teams to get the best outcomes? The organising he had to do?" She shrugged, "There's a leader buried in there. One who wouldn't take bullshit."

"You'd recommend Karev?"

She had been silent again, and he found he wanted to hear her answer even more when he saw she was putting some genuine thought in to it. Others had jumped to name their protige's, their favourites. Robbins played with the question, considered it.

"You know what? I would."

Hunt had looked at her and nodded and they'd gone back to discussing Asha's case and how to limit the girls time in the OR.

He'd be announcing the position today, and she actually had no idea who he'd choose. He hadn't given any indication to who he was favouring, purely asking her opinion.

She closed the chart she was writing in and put it away. She was just clicking her pen and sliding it into her lab coat pocket when Derek Shepherd was suddenly up and in her face.

She smiled, "Shepherd. Hi. Heard anything about the adoption?"

She took in his expression. It was like a cloud had overtaken his dreaminess. She even found herself taking a slight step back. McDreamy looked like McNightmare. McFright?

McNot Dreamy, anyway.

"Robbins, I heard your furniture delivery came in." Holy cow, the strangest bits of information were spread around this hospital.

She nodded. He looked almost...devestated, "It has."

"Would I be able to get my mattress off of you? It's okay if I can't."

He was barely making eye contact. Not usual for the over confident man.

"Of course. I could bring it to work tomorrow?"

He shifted from one foot to the other, "I need it tonight. I could pick it up? If that's not inconvenient?"

Arizona tried not to look surprised he needed it so quickly. What on Earth for? She plastered a smile on her lips, "No, that's no worries at all. I finish at six. I'm just ten minutes away."

"I'm done at seven-can I stop by and get it?"

"Of course. I was just hanging with some take away chinese and a bottle of wine, anyway."

She gave him her address. He hovered a moment, caught between needing someone to talk to and barely being able to speak. Instead he just threw her a smile that looked more like a grimace and walked away.

"That was weird." She murmured.

It was weird.

She wandered the hospital hallway and walked past a conference room to see Meredith Grey in a fairly defeated position at a conference table with Webber seated across from her looking broken.

She had been on her way to talk Clinic with the Chief, but seeing them in that position, she figured now was not the time. She walked past, not wanted to pry and overhear something she most likely didn't want to know.

She rounded the corner and almost ran head first in to Alex.

"Karev!" She grinned, "All set for our fun afternoon of sifting through a bowel?"

The look on his face made the smile fade. He looked nervous, sweaty. She crossed her arms as he avoided her eye, "What did you do?" He didn't even try to look indignant. He just looked at a spot above her head. "Karev!"

He swallowed heavily and still said nothing. She grabbed him by the lapel of his lab coat and dragged him through the nearest door. Of course it had to be a supply cupboard. She pulled him up short and pushed back slightly at his chest as she let his coat go.

She eyed him, "Did you nick something in surgery and not tell me? Stuff up that ICC insertion? Spill. You'll feel better."

He shook his head, "I just screwed my friend over. And myself in the process."

She moved back slightly, surprised by what the admission was, and the bitter tone he said it with. She hadn't meant to walk into a drama. She'd honestly thought it was patient related. She pursed her lips. Now she had him bailed up in a tiny room and confessing life drama, something she didn't discuss with colleagues. Excluding her drunken rant at Mark Sloan, which she maintains was tequilas fault and she had tried to erase from her mind.

Now she'd forced him to spill some and it wasn't like she could just walk out now.

She nodded, "Okay. Can you fix it?"

He shook his head, "Too late."

"Apologise?"

"Too late."

"How is it too late?"

"The balls rolling now, an apology won't fix shit."

How eloquent of him. And also how unhelpful an answer. She was actually going to have to talk it over with him and find out what he'd done. Damn.

"Why won't it?"

He leant back on the rack behind him and crossed his arms, "I opened a can of worms. And now Webber and Shepherd know." He shrugged, "It's done."

She sighed, "Okay. We are going to talk about this for five minutes. Then we go back to being resident and attending. Okay?"

He eyed her for a minute, then decided he probably had no friends left and she was better than nothing.

"Okay."

"What happened?"

"A few days ago I caught Meredith doing something with Shepherds trial. I don't know what. But I know it wasn't something small; it was something that could probably invalidate it."

She nodded, "Alright." He looked at her. "This is where you keep sharing, Karev."

"Right. I told her she had to come clean. She insisted what she did wouldn't have affected anything and I needed to keep my mouth shut."

Arizona nodded. Not a good situation.

"I didn't know what to do. It was up to her to confess it, not me. But I knew, so I couldn't not say anything if she didn't."

"You went to Shepherd?"

He shook his head, "No. I don't know what I would've done. Shepherd and Hunt heard us arguing about it in a corridor. I was telling her to come clean, she was telling me to shut my mouth. Now it's out."

She thought for a moment, "And Webber now knows." The scene in the conference room made more sense. Grey was probably getting her ass handed to her. But why did Shepherd need his mattress? Her eyes widened. Oh God, was she about to aid a man in leaving his wife?

She looked to Karev, sweaty and miserable looking in front of her. She needed to focus.

"Okay, well, how did that mean you screwed yourself over?"

"I basically ratted her out. Everyone's going to hate me. And I probably screwed myself over for Chief Resident." He scowled, "Whatever, right?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head at him, "I don't think so."

He looked at her like she was insane.

She raised her eyebrows, "You didn't dob her in, it was blind luck, well bad luck for Grey, that they overheard you. She should have argued with you somewhere more secretive than a corridor in _this _hospital."

His shoulders relaxed a little but his looked remained hard.

"And as for chief resident? I don't know about that, but it sounds like you were trying to do what anyone would have done. Convince her to go forward herself."

His face finally relaxed slightly. He still looked as sweaty, though. It was kind of gross in these close quarters.

She appraised him, "Breath, Karev. It sounds like Grey got herself in this position. You just had the bad luck of getting caught up in it."

He nodded.

They stood for a minute, the awkwardness of their position creeping in.

"Well!" She said brightly, "See you in the OR." She half punched, half patted him on the arm and fled.

Two weeks back and the drama in the hospital was rampant.

The afternoon went quickly, her and Karev spending most of it in the OR. They finished up at five and as the scrubbed out, she looked across at him.

"Chief Resident will be posted by now."

He grunted.

She dried her hands off, "Good luck, Karev."

He made eye contact and half smiled, half grimaced.

She walked out, finished up some paperwork and decided to get herself home. She had a bed to put together and leaving half an hour early sounded divine.

An hour and a half, two glasses of wine and an incredibly annoying IKEA bed she was kicking herself for purchasing years ago later and she was only halfway through assembling her bed. They were not made to be put together by single people.

A knock at the door reminded her she had Shepherd coming around to take the blow up mattress. Which was fine, because she now had her own queen sized one, which she would probably be putting on the floor to sleep on after she threw the frame over her tiny balcony in frustration.

Blowing her hair off her face, she stumbled passed all her boxes and half fell into the door, swinging it open.

She felt a tug of resentment that the mans life was coming apart around him and his hair still looked perfect. Her own hair was falling out in a mess from its ponytail and she looked like she'd ran a marathon in baggy sweat pants and an oversized shirt.

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Robbins. Been wrestling a bear?"

"Just an IKEA bed."

He grimaced in sympathy, "You're looking better than I did last time I was in that position."

She laughed, "I've got the mattress for you."

She pulled the door open, inviting him in.

He first visitor would be Derek Shepherd. She would have paid money to bet that _wouldn't_ have been the case, but stranger things had happened.

He raised his eyebrows as he looked around. She laughed as she took in his expression, "Yeah, I should really take a day off to get organised, but there's just no time. I think it'll be a case of unpacking as I need things. In six months I expect to be fully moved in."

He nodded.

They stood apart in the cluttered lounge, two people who barely knew each other.

"Would you like a beer."

He looked like he considered saying no, then nodded, "Thanks."

She walked through to her fridge and tried not to judge herself that all that was in it was one and a half bottles of wine, a six pack and a container of milk. She needed to go grocery shopping.

She handed him the beer after opening it and grabbed her wine.

She looked at the couch, covered in boxes, "I'd offer you a place to sit..."

He finally cracked a smile, "It's fine."

She had no idea how to talk to the man beyond big surgeries on tiny humans.

She bit the bullet. There was an elephant in the room, "I'm sorry about your trial."

It was like he deflated. He gritted his teeth. "She's a child."

Her eyes widened. Slightly harsh. "I'm sure there was a reason she did what she did." She said softly.

"Not a good one."

She nodded. If this had been her trial, a trial she'd put in place to cure a disease that may one day take her wife, she'd be pretty damned pissed too.

"She wouldn't have told me. It could have come out later and had even worse effects."

Arizona nodded, "So it's a good thing it came out now?"

He sipped his beer, "There's nothing good about this. At least Karev was trying to get her to do the right thing." He balled his free hand in a fist against his thigh, "She could have had Chief Resident. She's ruined her career, blackened mine and destroyed the trial."

The man was angry.

"The trials definitely ruined?"

He leant on the arm of the couch, "We've handed it to the FDA. It's their mess now."

Arizona tilted her head slightly as she took him in. He looked broken.

"Maybe it's not over."

"Her career will be." He almost laughed, "And Karevs has catapulted as a result."

She looked confused.

"Karev got Chief Resident." he swigged his beer, "And Meredith will probably get fired."

"Why do you need the mattress, Shepherd?"

He didn't look at her, "I'm sleeping in the woods tonight."

She nodded. She wasn't good at this, this discussing others personal issues. She barely knew him, or Grey. But he looked ready to break something.

"Want to put a bed together first?"

He looked at her, "Sure."

####

Arizona stood opposite Callie, inserting rods in Sekou's legs.

The were going to get this boy walking.

It was his second operation, and once he was starting to heal, the physical therapy would start, a potential third operation down the road on his tendons.

They'd scrubbed in separately, and had been mostly silent since Arizona had stepped into the room ten minutes after Callie. Grey had called in sick, the rumour that her and Shepherd had been granted temporary custody of Zola five minutes after Shepherd had left her flooding the hospital, and Arizona had found herself scrubbing in on a operation with her ex she had originally not really been needed in. She was glad she'd stopped at three glasses of wine last night, Sheperd leaving not long after her bed was made, sad little mattress in hand.

And now she was trying to not get incredibly turned on as Callie bobbed her head to her loud music, drill and hammer in hand, cockiness in her element exuding off of her.

They were close to finishing, almost ready to close.

Callie looked up over her scrub mask, "So, your boy got Chief Resident."

Arizona smirked at Callies playful tone, "He did."

"I thought Grey had it in the bag."

"She might have had, before."

Callie glanced up again, "Mm. Not the smartest move."

Arizona shrugged, "Probably not."

Callie dropped her hammer down, "I'm done here." She looked at the technician standing near her, "Shall we take a look?"

He hovered the machine over Sekous tiny legs and Arizona and Callie grinned at the images that appeared.

Arizona looked at her, "It looks perfect."

Callie shrugged, "Would you expect anything else?"

She laughed. Callie was at her strongest in the OR, her smile infectious, the arrogance required of a surgeon in her position endearing rather than off putting.

They closed up and went to scrub out, side by side near the sink. Their gowns and masks were in the trash, both still wearing their scrub caps.

"Good work in there."

Callie smiled at her, "Thanks, you too."

Arizona shrugged, "I've never rocked Ortho. I used to think it was a hack trade."

Callie looked across at her, her expression amusedly insulted.

"Used to, Callie." She looked back down to watch her hands as she scrubbed them, "Then I saw you in the OR, and it was nothing but hack. You're a bit of an artist."

She felt Callie looking at her but kept her eyes down. She finished up and reached for a towel, turning to face her, hip leaning against the sink as she dried off her hands. Callie mimicked her pose a metre away.

"We're getting him on the road to walking."

Arizona smiled at her, "You are. I was just the assist in this op. This one's all you."

Callie rolled her eyes, "Just take the compliment and get excited with me, Arizona."

Arizona laughed, "Oh, I'm excited. The second I saw his legs I wanted to get him over here and fixed. His Dad is so excited. They'd been told nothing could help him."

"They hadn't met me." Callie winked and Arizona ignored the jolt in her stomach.

She rolled her eyes instead, "Cocky much?"

Callie shrugged, "You're the one who was just pumping my ego."

A scrub nurse walked out from the OR holding a tray of instruments. Both stepped to move out of her way, following her with their eyes and smiling at her as she exited the scrub room. They looked back to each other and suddenly found they were standing only inches apart. Their smiles slowly faded from their faces. Arizona's hands were against her chest with the towel wrapped around them, Callies against her stomach, both having pulled them in to their bodies as they stepped aside to let the scrub nurse pass.

Arizona was suddenly overly aware of her breathing. This was not how close friends stood. Or if they did, they laughed and shoved at each other and then went and got a coffee. None of those were things that ran through her mind. She'd been really good at the friend thing the last four days. Sure, they hadn't hung out one on one again, but she'd been good at being Callie's friend. She'd thrown herself in to moving and surgery and kept Callie in a small art of the back of her brain and was friendly with her whenever they were in the same spot. It worked well.

And now they were barely inches from each other. She could feel the heat radiating off of Callie's incredible skin and Callie wasn't stepping back.

She needed Callie to step back. She needed her to move, because she found herself unable to. Except to lean her head imperceptibly forward. She could feel Callie's breath against her lips. She flicked her eyes down to Callies mouth and then back to to her eyes. The slight move forward had brought the skin of their arms together, barely brushing, and it felt like sparks moved between their skin. She saw Callie swallow.

Arizona bit her bottom lip, their gazes locked. She couldn't read the look in Callie's eye and she didn't know if she wanted to. You weren't supposed to stand this close to a person. Neither moved further forwards, but neither moved back. Callies eyes fluttered closed then opened slowly again, the look in them intensified. Arizona figured about five seconds had passed since the nurse walked out the room.

The silence was broken by the sound of Callies phone.

They both blinked. It rang again.

Arizona stepped back and Callie reached into her scrubs pocket and pulled it out, looking at the caller ID. She looked at Arizona as she brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Mel."

Arizona smiled at her and walked out the room, dumping the towel in the bin next to the door. She leant heavily against the wall to the left of the door and pulled her scrub cap off, her heart beating wildly. She shoved it in her pocket and cursed herself.

New rule for Arizona: she was not going to be alone with Callie until she had this friends thing down better than she obviously did.

She flattened her palms against the cool wall and leant her head back.

She was fine.

Mark Sloan was walking down the hall on his way to OR four to scrub in to his last surgery for the day. Then, he was going to go to the damn woods that had seemed to swallow the man he'd been best man for and drink beers with him until he talked.

He stopped midway down the hall as he saw a flushed Arizona leaning against the wall, head leant against it and staring at the roof like it held answers. He saw the OR door next to her swing open and watched Callie take an immediate right, walking down the hallway and away from them, oblivious to their presence.

Her phone was raised to her ear, "Tonight sounds great. Your place?"

Her voice floated to him as she turned the corner and was gone. He took in Arizona as she let out a long, slow breath as she watched her walk off. The same kind of breath he saw her do at the bar. It really was definitely a practiced maneuver.

"Stop looking at her ass."

She jumped and turned around, almost scowling when she saw who was standing there, "What? I wasn't."

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"What! She has a hot ass. Friends can think that."

He crossed his arms, "Mhm. Friends."

"Shut up, Sloan."

She pushed off the wall and walked down the hall.

He called after her, "I'm staring at your ass, but I don't actually want to sleep with you! That's the difference, Robbins!"

Arizona did something she hadn't done in years.

She pulled the finger at him over her shoulder without looking back.

####


	28. Chapter 27

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry. That sorry has been there awhile. I'll leave it though...sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **this was going to be split in to two, to keep the first half kind of separate, because it was a different tone to the second half. I hope it still works :/

**Chapter Twenty Seven  
React**

Callie sipped her wine and closed her eyes as it ran over her tongue. There was nothing like a glass of red after a long day. She opened them to find three amused people looking at her.

She smiled over the glass, "What?"

Mel laughed, "You look like that's your life line." She rest a hand casually on Callies thigh and sipped her own wine, eyes sparkling.

Mark smirked at Callie from across the coffee table of Mels apartment, his arm draped over Lexies shoulder where they sat on the couch, "Why the long sip? Have a rough day, Cal?"

"Uh-no. Good day, actually."

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Good, hey? Surgery go well, then?"

Lexie gave him a funny look at the tone in his voice. Mel, oblivious, looked at Callie, waiting for an answer.

"Uh-yeah, surgery was great. Maybe the last op to get my patient walking."

"Oh, yeah?" Mark smiled innocently, Lexie half glaring at him, "Anything interesting happen during surgery?"

Callie eyeballed him suspiciously, "Nope. All went smoothly." She sipped her wine again, wondering why he was being such an ass; he couldn't have known her and Arizona had-well, hadn't done anything, actually. Just stood in the scrub room. "How goes creating a sternum for your kid?"

Mark shrugged, "It's created, placed and surgery is over. He's healing nicely. In fact, he'll be heading back soon with follow ups at the clinic over there."

"That'll be three we send back next week, won't it?" Lexie asked, "There'll only be two left? Sekou and Asha?"

Callie nodded, "Sekou will definitely still be here another few weeks. He needs to be set up with physical therapy."

A timer went off in the kitchen and Mel stood up, "That'll be dinner." She smiled at everyone, "I'll just be a minute."

Callie stood up with her, "I'll give you a hand."

As the walked off, Mark watched them, smirking.

"Ow!"

Lexie had she smacked him upside the head.

"I don't know what you were just doing with that tone of yours, but I know it was mean."

He just grinned at her and hooked his arm forward, pulling her in for a kiss.

Callie heard the 'ow' as she walked into the kitchen and hoped it hurt her shit stirring best friend.

She walked up to the cupboards as Mel pulled out the chicken she'd roasted, placing it on a heat proof dish on the counter. Grabbing four plates, Callie put them on the kitchen bench and felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. Mel placed her chin on Callies shoulder and dropped a soft kiss next to her ear. Callie leant back in to the touch and put her hands on top of Mels.

"Hey." She smiled and leant her head against the other womans.

"Hey." Mel pressed her lips to her cheek and she could feel the smile against it.

The stood silently for a minute.

Mel dropped another kiss, "Is there something wrong?"

Callie felt herself tense a little, "What do you mean?"

Mel tightened her grip, squeezing her gently, "I've not seen much of you lately, and when I have you've been a little, I don't know..." She trailed off.

Callie turned and wrapped her arms around Mels neck, eye's level. She smiled softly, "A little?"

Mel gave a self conscious shrug, "I don't know. Distant? God, that sounds lesbian of me."

Callie laughed, "Lesbian of you?"

"Shut up." Mel grinned.

Callie let the smile fade off her face, leaning forward to press a kiss against Mels lips. She pulled back slowly, pressing another quick one down before pulling back far enough to look her in the eye again. Mel smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry." Callie took in a deep breath, "Works been so busy, with the extra surgeries." _And my ex is back and it's playing with my head._ "I've been distracted."

Mel shrugged, "It's okay. I figured it was work." She grinned suddenly, "You bisexuals wouldn't understand, anyway." She winked, trying to lighten the mood.

Callie laughed out loud, "I've banned Mark from the L Word, don't make me do that to you, too."

Mels eyes widened, "You wouldn't!"

"I would."

"That's okay, I'd still have Lip Service."

Callie grinned and kissed her quickly again, "Dinner?"

Mel gave a nod, "Dinner."

She turned and grabbed the chicken, carrying it out to her dining room table.

Callie swallowed heavily, stomach churning. She felt guilty, and didn't know why.

She grabbed the plates and cutlery and followed.

####

Scribbling in a chart, Arizona glanced up to see Derek Shepherd handing over a half asleep Zola to Meredith Grey. He said a scant two words to her before turning and walking off down the hallway. Meredith watched him go almost forlornly before shutting down the look on her face and turning to the baby in her arms, who had woken up slightly in the excitement of seeing her.

Meredith was grinning at Zola, and Arizona marvelled a little at the look on her face-any interaction she had had with the woman left her thinking Grey was a little, well, dark. Looking at Zola and saying hello after not seeing her overnight? She looked almost lit up. Arizona smiled softly as Zola gurgled happily and patted Grey on the face.

Meredith looked around and caught Arizona staring at her. A look of relief came over the womans face and she walked quickly over.

"Doctor Robbins, great. Can you hold her for a minute? I need to get some stuff from the locker room?"

Arizona nodded, "Uh, yeah. Of course." She smiled at Zola, who was grinning at her, and held her arms out to the baby who was happily passed over, "Hey, Little Miss." Zola took her hand out of her mouth and now patted Arizona's cheek, leaving a nice wet patch of drool. Arizona screwed her nose up at her, "Why, thanks for that."

Meredith grimaced, "Sorry." At Arizona's shrug, she smiled at Zola, "Be right back, baby girl. Try not to slobber too much on Doctor Robbins." She dashed off.

Arizona leant back on the paeds nurses station and looked at the baby on her hip, "Moni, Zola. I've missed you." Zola's hand was back in her mouth, and she grinned over it at Arizona, blinking sleepily, "How are you enjoying your new parents?" Zola blinked tiredly again, her spare hand rubbing at her eye, "Don't you worry, they'll sort their issues out." Zola threw her head down onto Arizona's chest in the manner a baby at six months old had when it was tired and giving up on being awake. Arizona gave a soft chuckle and hefted her up slightly, letting her nuzzle into her neck. She rest her cheek on Zola's head and rubbed her back, swaying slightly, "Parents just get cranky sometimes." She murmured.

She vaguely looked around while she waited for Grey, taking in the nurses bustling between rooms, the parents hovering anxiously, doctors floating outside doors, checking charts and disappearing. She felt Zola's hand clench at her lab coat sitting over her collarbone and hummed a little to help settle her, her warm weight comfortable.

Arizona's eyes widened only slightly as she saw Callie stop outside Sekous room, reading through his chart as she stood in front of his door. Four days post the last surgery they'd done, and Callie would be wanting to start testing his strength. Zola shifted her head, rubbing her nose against Arizona's chest and she patted her back to settle her further, feeling her quieten again as Arizona watched Callie. Her sleeves were pushed up, and Arizona tried to remember a time when Callie wore her lab coat like most other people and came up blank. She slowed her pats on Zola's back down to rubbing softly, hearing the girl starting to snore into her shoulder.

She was in that position, smiling softly, hand moving rhythmically on Zola's back, staring at Callie, when the woman looked up from her chart and straight into Arizona's eyes. Arizona watched her blink in surprise, then flick her eyes to Zola and back up to meet Arizona's look. Arizona felt a warmth in her stomach at the smile that overtook Callies face.

She hadn't seen her much since she'd pulled the finger at Mark Sloan. They'd rounded together the next day to check on Sekou, and other than that, both had been pulled into their own specialties of surgeries. She'd ran into Callie and Teddy at the coffee cart once, again, and they'd all stood, chatting amicably as they drank their coffee. Arizona was throwing herself into work, giving Karev a hard time and ever so slowly unpacking her apartment.

And now they were staring at each other across the room, the soft weight of a sleeping baby separating them. Arizona hadn't even meant to stare, she'd just ended up trance like and unthinking. Callie went to step forward and Arizona took a deep breath in and then suddenly Meredith Grey was taking up all her vision. She leant onto her left foot to glance past Greys shoulder and saw Callie had her nose buried back in Sekou's chart.

She straightened back up and looked at Meredith, who had the soppy look of a parent in love with their child on her face.

It really did look weird on her. As weird as she would look in a bright pink, fuzzy sweater and a high ponytail.

"She asleep?"

Arizona nodded, "Out like a light the second you handed her over."

Meredith cocked her head slightly, "She's comfortable with you."

"We go way back."

They did the awkward handover of a sleeping child that involved trying desperately not to wake her, and Meredith soon had Zola settled in her arms, nappy bag over her shoulder. Zola raised a hand and grasped Meredith's hair, not letting it go. Meredith tried hopelessly not to smile.

Arizona didn't bother to hide her own, "She looks pretty comfortable with you, too."

Meredith looked gratefully at the remark, "Thanks for looking after her."

Arizona nodded and watched them walk off. She buried her hands in her pocket and flicked her eyes back to Sekou's room. Callie had poked her head into the room, seen it was empty and turned to walk out of the paeds department.

Arizona suddenly realised Callie didn't know.

She hovered for a second at the desk, split between a decision, then decided to do it. She pushed off on her heels and walked forward briskly.

"Callie!"

Callie stopped abruptly and turned around, in the process of pulling her pager out of her pocket.

Arizona stood in front of her grinning, "Do you have a moment?"

Callie raised her eyebrows, unable to hold back a smile at the look of excitement on Arizona's face, "Uh-" She looked at her pager, "Yeah, it's not urgent. I have a minute."

Arizona bounced on her feet, reached forward and grabbed Callie's hand, ignoring the fact that it should be weird for her to do so and pulled her forward, "Come with me."

She led her down the hall, pausing outside the big double doors that led to the paediatric gymnasium. The doors were half glass, and she pulled them up to a stop so they could both look through one of the windows.

Callie threw her a weird look before turning to look through the window. Her eyes widened and a huge grin over took her lips as she took in the sight before her. Arizona turned to look, too, her hands buried in her pockets again. They stood, arms just brushing, taking in the view.

Sekou stood, a physical therapist on either side of him, his hands gripping the rungs of the double bars he was standing between, an ear splitting smile on his face as he ever, ever so slowly pulled one foot forward and rested it on the floor.

"Arizona," Callie couldn't tear her eyes away, her smile radiant, "He just took a step."

Arizona nodded, smiling, as she watched Sekou give a happy shout, pulling his other foot forward in another agonizingly slow, incredible movement.

Arizona glanced sideways at Callie, "You know," she looked back through the window, "Sekou can mean three things, depending where you are in Africa." Callie glanced sideways at Arizona, who was looking through the window, head tilted as she watched, "It can mean warrior, fighter, or learner."

"Which does his mean?"

"I asked his parents that. They told me that he was born to take the title as warrior, but his spirit became all three." She watched him be scooped up by one of the therapists and placed back in his wheelchair, sweaty and victorious, "And that they just wanted him happy."

"He's happy right now."

Arizona nodded, "Thanks to you."

Callie shrugged, "It was thanks to you he's here at all."

They turned to face each other. Callie crossed her arms, Arizona kept her hands shoved into her pockets.

"Are you coming to Joes tomorrow night?"

Arizona nodded, "Karev told me pretty much everyone will be there."

"There's a lot of surgeries going on people want to celebrate." Callie smiled at her, "And Karev wanted to celebrate his Chief Resident moment, I think."

Arizona nodded, still smiling, "Are you taking Mel?"

Callie nodded in return, "She'll be there. And Mark and Teddy and Lexie. I think the main players not going are Derek and Grey."

"Well, they're still not speaking."

Callie grimaced, "True. Will we see you there?"

She swallowed, smile never faltering, "Of course. Sounds fun."

####

Arizona took in a deep breath and walked into Joes, immediately surrounded by noise and heat. It almost looked like every resident and attending had showed up, eager to have a drink and blow off some steam. Joe really could just close to the public and cater purely to hospital staff any night of the week and turn a huge profit.

Taking a deep breath, Arizona smiled at the odd colleague, making her way through the crowd to the bar. She ordered herself a wine and smiled her thanks as a generous glass was placed in front of her. Raising it to her lips, she took a sip and turned to her right to see a grinning Teddy just inches away from her. Arizona paused with her glass resting against her lips, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Hi!" Teddy had definitely had a few drinks.

Arizona grinned and lowered her glass, resting it on the bar top, "Teddy! Been here long?"

Teddy shrugged, "Just a few hours." She sipped her, what looked like, straight whisky, "I needed to escape my husband with needy dying eyes and my date- counsellor person asking me to move countries so I came here earlier with Owen." She looked at Arizona, one eye slightly closed, "You look really pretty.

Arizon blinked at the barrage of information, "You're moving countries?"

Teddy shook her head and threw out a hand to grab hold of the bar as the movement almost made her fall over, "No! Maybe. No. Germany?"

Arizona nodded, "The guy you're dating asked you to move to Germany?" Drunk Teddy speak really wasn't too hard to decipher.

Teddy nodded, taking another sip, "I don't want to move to Germany."

Arizona tried to hide her amused grin, taking a sip of her wine to cover it, "So don't move to Germany?"

"But I like him?"

"Do you love him?"

"It's funny _you_ should ask me that." Teddy raised her eyebrows at her suggestively.

Arizona had no idea why that was funny, but before she could comment Teddy continued, heaving a huge sigh, "No. I don't love him. I _do_ like my husband. A lot. But there's a boundary there."

"Uh," Arizona was a little bit at a loss on how to answer, "Does there _have_ to be a boundary there? Or did you just make one?"

Teddy looked at her intently for a minute, "That, Arsona, is a good question." She suddenly laughed, "And I just made your name have 'arse' in it. Ha." She looked down at her drink, "Maybe I should switch to water?"

Arizona nodded and got her a water, Teddy leading her to a table, Arizona looking around as they reached it.

"Callie's over in the corner with Mel and Owen." Teddy grinned helpfully at her as she took a seat.

"What? I wasn't look-"

"Mhmm." Teddy raised her eyebrows at her.

Arizona laughed, "Okay, you got me." The woman was drunk, she may as well just acknowledge the truth, she wouldn't remember anyway.

"Duh." Teddy sipped her water through her straw, then suddenly looked incredibly confused, "Hey, if alcohol gets you drunk quicker drinking through a straw, like all the girls said in college, do you think I'll get sober faster 'cause I have a straw?" She latched back onto the straw and drank, looking at Arizona with wide eyes.

Arizona smirked, "Sure. I learned that in Medicine 101."

Teddy nodded seriously, "We should spread the word."

"We'll write a paper on it next week."

"Maybe we'll win an Avery."

"You never know, Teddy."

Arizona kept up the drunken talk, eyes scanning the corner of the room. She quickly took in Callie standing against the wall, the same redhead Arizona had seen a few weeks before in the lobby standing next to her, both laughing at something Hunt said. Callies eyes flicked around the room and landed on Arizona, who whipped her eyes back to Teddy.

Teddy was staring at her again with wide eyes, amusement spread over face, "I'm drunk and that wasn't even subtle to me."

Arizona mock glared at her and drank her wine, relieved when Alex made an appearance, Lexie and Bailey in tow, and seated themselves around the table.

Two glasses of wine later, and Arizona was finding she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She hadn't been in this kind of social situation in a long time, with people she'd known for years, sitting around and talking about work and gossip. She'd loved having drinks with the team at the clinic, and her and Alex had gotten along surprisingly well-but this? This was actually a lot of fun.

Bailey was a few cocktails in, and had gotten loud. Arizona listened to her, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes wide.

"I'm telling you! A _spider_ crawled out of his hand!"

Arizona looked at her disbelievingly.

"Robbins! Don't you look at me like that. A spider crawled out of a human hand I was operating on. Grey, you were there!" Grey whipped her head around from her conversation with Teddy, "Tell Robbins! There was a spider in a human hand."

Lexie looked at her, "There was a spider in a human hand."

Arizona laughed at her deadpan expression and Bailey glared at her.

"You could've put a little more jazz in to it."

Lexie shrugged and went back to her conversation, smiling at Mark who had joined Callie, Mel and Hunt across the room. Arizona purposefully kept her eyes on Bailey. She couldn't help but notice, despite the effort, out of the corner of her eye, Mel lean in to whisper something in Callie's ear. Arizona listened to Teddy and Bailey ramble for five minutes before excusing herself to go the bathroom. Two wines and a lot of drunk people rambling and she needed a toilet break.

She slid easily through the crowd and walked into the bathroom, stopping as the door swung shut behind her. Mel, a person she'd never been introduced to but knew regardless_, _was standing at the sink, leaning over it and running her index finger under her eye, fixing her make up. She smiled brightly when she saw Arizona in the mirror, turning around and leaning against the basin. Arizona took in a quick breath and smiled back at her.

"Hi." Mel crossed her arms, "You're Arizona, right? Robbins?"

Arizona nodded, looking slightly confused.

"Oh, I'm not a creepy stalker." She laughed, "Sloan pointed you out to me earlier when we were playing 'learn who everyone is'."

Arizona smiled again, "Right. Yeah, Arizona." She leant forward and Mel shook her hand.

"I'm Mel, Callies girlfriend."

"It's really nice to meet you." Arizona was assuming Mel didn't know Arizona and Callie had dated.

"I heard what you did, over in Africa? That's amazing. I wish I could do something like that for all those kids."

Arizona smiled again, "I heard you're a diver for the police? That's pretty awesome."

Mel shrugged, standing up, "It's good. Still, really, Lexie was talking about it all non stop the other day. It really sounds like you've done something great."

Arizona smiled again, no idea how she was supposed to handle this situation, "Thanks, Mel."

"Well, it's true. Anyway, I'll let you, you know," she indicated to the toilet, "I talk a lot after one drink, let alone a few."

Arizona laughed, "I know what you mean."

"It really was nice meeting you." Mel gave her an incredibly genuine smile and slipped out.

Arizona sighed. Damn it, she was nice.

She finished up in the bathroom and walked out., wandering over to her table. Teddy was on her fourth glass of water and looking slightly less inebriated, where as everyone else was looking more so. Arizona watched over their heads as Mel leant forward and pressed a kiss to Callie's lips, Callie smiling at her.

Arizona grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair.

Teddy looked at her in surprise, "What! You're leaving?"

Arizona forced a laugh, smiling, "Yeah, I have an early surgery and _so_ much unpacking to do."

Teddy pouted, "Fine." She sat up straighter and eyed her, suddenly serious.

Arizona looked at her, "What?"

"We should hang more." Teddy nodded once to affirm it.

Arizona smiled, "We will."

She waved her good byes and tried to make it not look like she was fleeing, unaware of Callie's eyes watching her the whole time.

Mark watched Callie watch Arizona.

"Hey, Mel." Mel turned to him, "Did you know Hunt has his diving ticket?"

Owen looked up from his drink in surprise at Mark, then looked to Mel, who was also looking amused.

"That's cool, Owen. Do you dive much?"

"Uh-not so much anymore. I used to."

"Where'd you learn?"

Mark looked from one to the other, impressed with himself.

He stepped closer to Callie, who was watching blonde hair disappear out the door, an almost pissed off look over her face, "Go. Figure this shit out."

Callie looked at him in surprise.

He looked at her, "Go!"

She slipped behind Mel, "I'll be right back." She half whispered.

Mel waved her hand and nodded in acknowledgment, flicking her eyes to Callies with a smile then back to Owen, caught up in the conversation, "No way, you've been to the Great Barrier Reef?"

Callie pulled her jacket on and moved quickly through the crowd, unable to explain the anger bubbling up in her chest. Arizona had been looking at her all night.

She took a deep breath in as she pushed open the door. Well, maybe not all night. But she'd seen her look over at least twice.

And for some reason, tonight, it was making her kind of mad.

She looked left and right, then turned right as she saw Arizona up ahead.

"Hey!" The word burst out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Arizona stopped dead and whipped around, her eyes wide as Callie stormed up the footpath towards her. She took a step back as Callie stopped in front of her, her eyes widening further.

"You don't get to do that." Words she didn't plan were slipping past Callie's lips.

Arizona licked her lips.

"And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

Arizona nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She set her jaw and raised her chin slightly, unblinking as Callie half glared at her.

"I know."

"You left! You don't get to be annoyed about me doing what you asked and moving on!"

Arizona set her jaw harder, "I know! I'm not annoyed."

"So stop. Stop with the looks across the room, all the time! And brushing my hair behind my ear. And biting your lip when your face is an inch from mine. A-and the walking out quietly." Callie clenched her fists almost painfully, "You're not allowed."

"You don't think I know that?" Arizona swallowed heavily, her eyes were set. "I know I have no right."

"So _stop_ then. I can't stay moved on if you keep _looking_ at me like that." Callie, despite herself and the anger she felt, stepped forward again. They stood a foot a part, Callie glaring and Arizona taking it.

Arizona swallowed again; she didn't have the words for this. Stepping forward, she pushed Callie against the wall of the shop they stood outside of, Callie's breath coming out in a rush as her back hit the solid brick. Arizona lifted her hands, palms against the wall, bracing them either side of Callie's head, caging her in. Her thighs were pressed against Callie's, heat radiating between them.

Callie brought her hands up, gripping Arizona's forearms, finger nails biting into her arm. Their breathing was heavy, Arizona had no idea what she was doing. Callies wide brown eye's were boring into her own.

"Arizona." Her name came out more like a breath. It was all it took.

Arizona brought her hands to the back of Callies head, fingers wrapping in her hair. She brought their lips together, a relief. Callie clung to her forearms, afraid to let go, not moving. Arizona sucked her bottom lip in to her mouth, her teeth and tongue grazing the sensitive flesh. Callie felt Arizona's tongue against her own for just a second and, before Callie could even react, Arizona pushed herself off the wall and was gone, leaving Callie breathless, bruised lips parted in surprise.

She stood, angry and confused, breathing heavily, staring straight ahead.

####

Arizona half ran back to her apartment, an achievement in the boots she was wearing.

She'd just kissed Callie.

After Callie had told her to stop even looking at her, her response was to shove her against a wall and kiss her.

She was a terrible person.

She took the stairs, her heart pounding in her ears, her breathing ragged as she pushed open her door and leant against it as she shoved it closed.

She leant her head back for a minute, closing her eyes and trying to calm her breathing. She wasn't overly fit at the best of times, and she had just done a ten minute walk in about five. Her breathing finally slowing, Arizona walked through to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of wine. She poured herself a large glass and took a long sip, holding it to her chest as if it could save her.

She'd been doing so damn well as Callie's friend, too.

Arizona leant against the kitchen cabinet and sipped her wine, slowly this time.

Okay, so tomorrow, she'd apologise. Callie had been angry-she'd had a right, really. Even if it was delayed anger, she had a right. She was seeing someone, and had been honest about that straight up, and had even said to her she wanted to be friends. And Arizona had kissed her.

Arizona had tried to be her friend, but, if she was honest with herself, she hadn't tried overly hard.

She almost slopped her wine down her front as someone pounded on her front door. She put the glass down; only one person knew where she lived, besides her parents, and that was Derek Shepherd.

She walked over to the door and looked in the peephole

A very pissed of Callie stood on the other side.

Arizona took in a deep breath and steeled herself, pulling the door open.

Callie glared at her, "I called Derek and made him tell me your address."

Arizona opened the door and gestured for her to come in.

"You don't get to just kiss me and leave!" Callie took one step and stood facing Arizona, her arms crossed across her chest, eyebrows raised. Arizona shut the door.

"You're seeing someone. I shouldn't have even kissed you." Arizona took a step into the room, turning to face Callie who was still standing just in the threshold, arms still crossed.

"You seem to make a lot of decisions you don't like later, Arizona."

"That's not fair."

"It's true!"

They glared at each other.

"I can't be your friend, Callie."

"You haven't even tried."

Arizona finally snapped, "You're not someone I can be friends with!"

"You. Haven't. Tried."

"You don't want to kiss your friends. Or touch them. Or shove them against walls outside a dirty bar."

Callie swallowed, a fraction of the anger leaving her, "No. You don't."

Arizona took a small step forward, "You don't think about waking up next to friends. About bringing them coffee in the morning. About the way their skin feels against yours in the shower?"

Callie closed her eyes slowly, opening them, eyes shining; whether with anger or what, Arizona didn't know, "No, you don't."

Arizona took another small step, "You don't think about the house you could live in together. About the tiny humans in Africa you could give a home to."

She was saying things she'd barely let touch her conscious thought.

Callie shook her head, not able to say anymore.

Arizona took another step forward, barely a foot away from Callie, "There's all these, these dreams, I didn't know I wanted. Two years in Africa, and I've discovered all these, things, about myself, Callie." Arizona closed the gap between them and Callie fluttered her eyes closed as Arizona raised her hand, brushing a tendril of hair behind Callie's ear. "These things I never used to want? I want them with you." Arizona figured she'd gone this far, "Not just my future-our future."

Arizona leant forward, pressing her lips against Callies once before pulling back, chaste. Callie's eyes opened slowly.

She swallowed heavily and stepped backwards, hand finding the door knob behind her back. She turned it, gave Arizona a look she didn't understand, and this time, Callie left.  
####


	29. Chapter 28

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T. Sorry. That sorry has been there awhile. I'll leave it though...sorry.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **You're all awesome. That is all.

**chapter Twenty Eight  
Decisions**

Callie was walking circles in the carpet of her and Marks living room.

Teddy sat on the couch, still a little drunk, cross legged and watching her walk around and around, looking slightly dizzy.

Callie had fled Arizona's, there was no other word for it. She had completely and utterly fled. She'd run down the stairs and pulled her phone out, texting Teddy to meet her at her and Marks straight away, and to leave without making it obvious. She'd then text Mel, saying she was sorry but she wasn't feeling great and had gone home.

And now she was pacing, feeling angry, confused and guilty, unable to put it into words to share with her inebriated friend.

After the fifth minute of wordless pacing, her phone beeped in her pocket again.

Mel.

_Are you _sure_ you don't want me to come over?_

Callie stopped dead and sighed.

_No, really, it's okay. I don't want to make you sick, too. I'm sorry to abandon you with people you don't really know. _

She hated lying. Absolutely hated it.

She looked at Teddy helplessly, her phone hanging uselessly in her hand. Teddy just looked at her and blinked, taking a sip from the water bottle Callie had thrust at her as she'd entered the apartment, smelling like a brewery.

"Do you have straw?"

Callie looked at her like she was insane, "For your water bottle?"

Teddy nodded adamantly, "It'll sober me up."

Callie raised her eyebrows, but wandered into the kitchen. Her phone beeped again and she read the message as she blindly searched a drawer for a straw and took it over to Teddy.

_Don't worry about me, just take care of yourself! Owen and I are bonding over diving and Jaime said she was going to join for a pint-which we both know means shots and a four am finish. Drink lots of water x_

It bleeped again.

_You're a doctor, so you probably know that. It's just the only health advice I know of ;)_

Callie smiled and stared at her phone, then groaned and dropped it on the couch, resuming her pacing and starting to rant. In Spanish.

Teddy's eyes widened as she dropped the straw through the neck of the bottle and happily sucked at it.

She didn't speak Spanish. She watched as Callie made another lap. She was way to drunk for this. She thought of a solution, and pulled out her phone to send a text.

Not a minute later, she heard Marks door open and close as he walked through and sat next to her on the couch, shirtless. He watched the mess pace in front of him, gabbling in Spanish and throwing her hands around. He looked at Teddy, who was now staring at him.

"What the hell's happened to her?"

She squinted at him, "How did you _get_ here so fast?!"

He looked at her like she was the stupidest person on the planet, "I was in my room, Altman."

She suddenly grinned, "Oh! That makes more sense." She sipped her water, looking back at Callie then back to Mark, "She told me to come over. I did. And now she won't stop doing _this."_ She waved her hand in the direction of Callie.

Mark watched for another lap, then rolled his eyes and stood up, blocking Callie by grabbing her shoulders and speaking loudly, "Hey! Stop speaking Spanish! Because I have Lexie in the other room with less clothes on than me, and I don't speak Spanish!"

Callie stopped and blinked at him.

"When did you get here?"

"In the middle of this insane rant."

He went and flopped down next to Teddy, who was smiling at both of them, lips wrapped around her straw again.

Callie swung around and faced them.

The looked up at her from the couch, expectant.

"Arizona kissed me."

They nodded, not saying a word.

"I'm seeing someone."

They nodded again.

"Shouldn't you be outraged?"

They looked at each other then back up at Callie.

"Or surprised?"

They shrugged as one.

Mark spoke, "Not really surprising, Torres."

Teddy shook her head, "Nope."

Callie swallowed heavily, "But I'm with some one. A really, really nice, good person someone."

Mark and Teddy looked at each other again, then turned back to Callie. Mark spoke, almost carefully, "We like Mel. She's been really good for you."

Teddy added, "But Arizona and you have a history, it's written all over the two of you every time you talk." She sipped her water again, speaking around her straw, "It's kind of gross."

Callie looked at them helplessly, "So what do I do?"

They shrugged again.

"Really guys, this is great, thanks."

Mark crossed his arms and leant back into the couch, making himself comfortable, "What's stopping you going to Arizona?"

"Uh-well, Mel. And..." Callie trailed off, confused.

"And what?"

"I'm with someone." Callie added lamely.

Teddy raised her eyebrows, "I'm drunk and even _I_ can tell you were going to say something else."

Callie swallowed and flopped down onto the floor, leaning her elbows on the coffee table and looking up at them, "And, I don't know, I thought maybe Arizona might leave. Again."

Mark looked at her, "But?"

"Well, I don't think she is leaving. Or, well, she'd stay. For me."

Teddy cocked her head at her, "What makes you sure of that now?"

"She pretty much said as much. And more."

Mark smirked, "So she _finally_ broke."

Callie looked at him, confused, "What?"

"Robbins. It's been so obvious."

Teddy looked at him, "Duh."

He shrugged at her. Teddy looked back to Callie, "What else she say?"

"Uh, just...stuff. Intense, stuff. That I never thought would come out of Arizona's mouth."

Teddy grinned, "What you say back?"

"I left."

Mark let out a bark of laughter and Teddy threw her hands up in the air and dropped back against the couch.

Callie shrugged, "I-I couldn't stay. I'm seeing someone." They both just stared at her, watching her try and figure it out. She didn't get any further.

Mark sighed and decided to help her on a little, "Well, clearly Robbins is staying."

Callie nodded, "Or will, for me."

"So it's Mel that's stopping you."

Callie nodded.

Silence settled over them as they both looked at Callie who looked back at them helplessly.

Teddy rolled her eyes and Mark sighed again, speaking, "I'm gonna ask it again-how do you feel now, after a couple of months with Mel, compared to how you did after four weeks with Arizona? Or, hell, after her kissing you tonight?"

Callie looked even more helpless.

Mark suddenly slapped his hands on to his thighs, sitting up straight, "Well. I'm going to let you stew on that one a while. My lady awaits." He went to stand.

Teddy suddenly grinned.

Callie glared at her, "What, Teddy? What is possibly funny?"

"How do your words taste?"

"Huh?"

Mark was standing, smirking. Teddy put on a mimicking voice, "Naw, poor Callie, two hot women wanting you at once."

Callie's glare intensified.

"You guys are really, really shit friends." She dropped her chin into her palm, elbows still on the coffee table, "I'm just saying."

They grinned at her. Mark even laughed, now standing behind the couch, he leant his palms on it, "We're awesome."

Callie groaned and threw herself back on to the ground, flopping a forearm over her eyes dramatically.

They both just watched her.

"She'll get there." Mark whispered to Teddy, turning and heading to his bedroom.

Teddy nodded, returning to her water.

She really shouldn't have gone to the bar early with Owen. Now she was headed to water overload and was _still _drunk.

####

Arizona turned up to work the next day in business mode. So what if she'd poured her heart out to a woman yesterday, and her response was to flee her apartment?

Callie was seeing someone.

Arizona had crossed a line.

So now, she was going to show up, give Callie a hell of a lot of space, and just work. Her hair was in braids, ready for a full day of surgery, she was already in her scrubs: she was set. She'd round, smile politely if she saw Callie, then throw herself into saving tiny humans.

She needn't have hyped herself up so badly. Callie had either called in sick or was on a rostered day off, because Arizona didn't see her once.

Or the next day.

It wasn't until the third day after that Arizona was walking around the corner towards one of the nurses stations that she looked up from the chart she was reading and tried to make herself not stop dead, and instead slowed down to a ridiculously slow walk-how that was better than just stopping flat was beyond her, but it felt like it was.

Callie was standing at the desk, an intern next to her with six charts piled into his arms. Callie was laughing at something someone had said and Arizona felt her palms go sweaty at the smile that lit up her face.

She had kissed those lips three days ago.

She plastered a friendly smile on her face just as Callie looked across and saw her coming down the hallway. Their eyes locked for a split second before Callie turned to the nurse she'd been laughing with, said something, then turned and walked away, intern scampering after her.

Shit.

####

Mark handed Callie a coffee.

"You can't avoid her forever."

She took the coffee, "I know that, Mark."

"I don't really get why you are, either-hey!" He yelled the last bit as Teddy grabbed his coffee and took a long sip.

Teddy handed it back to him and raised her eyebrows when he glared at the lipstick mark on the lid then back at her, "What? I know I said I didn't want one, but then it looked good." She turned back to Callie, "You're going to need to talk to her, you know."

"I know that!"

"It's been four days."

"I was on days off. Two of those don't count."

"Why are you avoiding her, anyway?"

Callie sipped her coffee and glared at both of them, "I need to figure this out. Properly."

Teddy slid her hands into her lab coat pockets, leaning against the wall next to the elevators and raising her eyebrows, "I thought you had."

"I have, mostly. And I've done what I need to do. But I just-" Callie looked at them, irritated, "I'm just taking a few days, okay?"

They looked at each other, then back to Callie.

She glared at them, "You two spend too much time together."

"We spend too much time together listening to your dramatic love life."

"I still maintain yours is more dramatic, Teddy."

Teddy just shrugged and smiled at her.

####

Five days on, and Arizona could no longer pretend to herself that Callie wasn't avoiding her.

Standing at the coffee cart waiting for her dose of caffeine, she felt someone slide up next to her. She turned to find Teddy standing there, smiling. The last time she'd done that, she'd been incredibly inebriated. This time, she just looked friendly.

Arizona couldn't help but feel a bit better, "Teddy, hey. How are you?"

Teddy grinned, bouncing on her feet, "Really good, actually. How are you?"

Arizona nodded, her smile not faltering, "Yeah. good. How goes the man drama?" She reached forward and took her coffee from the attendant with a smile of thanks. Teddy ordered her coffee and turned back to Arizona.

"Man drama?"

"Hotty husband vs hotty boyfriend?"

Teddy grimaced, "Oh, right, I over shared with you when I was drunk."

Arizona laughed, "I enjoyed it."

"So did I, actually." Teddy smiled at her, "You made me realise something with your boundary question. Hotty husband is now the hotty boyfriend." Teddy's smile got even wider.

"Teddy!" Arizona couldn't help the delight in her voice, "That's awesome."

"It's _really_ awesome."

Arizona laughed, "So, tell me all about it?"

She stood and laughed with Teddy, listening to her outline of how Henry-because apparently hotty husband actually had a name-had become more than a husband for convenience. She wrapped her hands around her takeaway mug and resisted the urge to ask about Callie, conscious that this was one of Callie's best friends and she couldn't over step that line.

Alone again and walking up the stairs, coffee cup in hand, Arizona made a decision she'd been sitting on a few days.

She'd told Callie they couldn't be friends. But she had to work with her, had to see her every day and, in all honesty, if Callie had decided she wanted to be with Mel, then Arizona had to suck it up and be friends with her.

Because, really , there was no way she could not have Calliope Torres in her life.

She couldn't have her how she wanted to, so Arizona needed to pull her head out of her ass and get over it, so they could be friends.

She exited on the fourth level to walk across the cat walk and headed towards the bridge slowly, finishing the remnants of her coffee.

She'd obviously come back expecting something from Callie. She hadn't even realised she had until she'd seen her with Mel when she'd stepped off that van. And now, she needed to readjust her expectations, she needed to get some space and come back without the expectations she'd arrived with last time and then she could suck it up and be Callies friends.

She reached the Chiefs door and knocked.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open and walked through, standing in front of the chief, smiling.

"Robbins, more clinic talk?"

"Kind of, Chief."

He gestured to the chair in front of the desk and she slid into it, flicking her nail against the white plastic lid of her take away cup.

The chief leant back in his chair, his hands linked and resting on his stomach.

"Well?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "What is it?"

She cleared her throat, "I know I've not been back for long, but I think I may be needed back at the clinic for a few weeks."

He looked at her, waiting for her to go on.

"The new surgeon there, Waters, is going to be having a lot to do with the kids we had over here, and mid next week we'll be sending the last two back. I was thinking I could go ahead of them, on the Monday, and hand over properly, be there when all the kids are back. There's a few cases coming in, and some rostering and finance issues, too, that Waters will need some help with."

The chief just nodded.

"If I were to go back for maybe three weeks, I could get it all settled? I left quite quickly before. And then when I got back I shouldn't be needed for at least a few months."

Webber appraised her for a few moments, then nodded, "Okay. It's good timing, really."

Arizona looked surprised, "Really? I'm only giving you three days warning."

"Well, Starks contract is up in two weeks. When you get back, you can slide properly in to that role and settle in. I'd rather you did this now then in a few weeks. Get it all sorted and get back to do this job properly."

Arizona sat up straighter, "Okay."

He sat up and went to go back to the paperwork he'd obviously been in the middle of, looking up at her as he leant over it, "I want this clinic to be in working condition if we're going to start sending our surgeons over there."

Arizona grinned, "Yes, sir."

She got up and left the office, letting out a long breath.

She was definitely getting better at facing authority figures

And in three days, she'd head back to Africa for a few weeks, throw herself in to the clinic, get her head straight and come back ready to be Callies friend and to actually move on.

Then maybe she'd buy a cat.

####

Two days later, Arizona was packed (again), had her ticket and passport sitting on top of her suitcase near her door, and had just been paged in to assist Karev with a nasty bowel obstruction. She'd been on a call to Waters, his relief that she was returning the next day apparent even over the phone. She really had left with minimal warning, and the man needed some training in some of the further aspects of running the clinic. In short, he was kind of drowning and asked, half joking, if she could even fly in that night. She'd laughed and told him she'd be there the next day, her pager going off. She had hung up with promises she'd be on the plane tomorrow to sort everything out and that he didn't need to worry.

And then she'd made her way to surgery with Karev.

She grinned at him as they scrubbed out, "Wanted to spend time with me before I fly out for three weeks, Karev?"

He rolled his eyes, "Dude, you were just the lesser of two evils."

She laughed, "You so wanted to hang with me."

He grunted at her and walked out, throwing a "Fly safe" over his shoulder.

"Or whatever," She muttered under her breath. Thankfully, he didn't hear her.

She dried her hands and walked out, wandering down the hallway. It was only four in the afternoon, she didn't fly out until nine am the next day, and she was packed and all good to go. She considered finding someone to go have a drink with her when she exited the theatre wing and saw Callie's back ahead of her, turning in to an on call room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Arizona stopped dead, no one there to judge the movement this time, and hovered, paused on a decision for a moment. She almost hovered, unsure.

She could just go, for three weeks, and come back refreshed and moved on and ready to be Callie's friend. Or she could go in and say the mini speech she'd had prepared to say if Callie ever stopped avoiding her.

She bit her bottom lip and finally moved forward before she could stop herself. She didn't even hesitate at the on call room, a bold move in this hospital, and she wrapped her knuckles once on the door before pushing it open, slipping through the doorway and pushing the door shut behind her.

She stood, hands behind her back, resting on the doorknob, leaning back against them, and looked at Callie, wide eyed on her back on one of the beds, hands folded under her head.

Callie raised her eyebrows at Arizona-the woman looked ready to bolt. She sat up and sat on the edge of her bed, elbows resting on her knees, hands clasped between them, looking at Arizona with interest.

"Okay." Arizona nodded her head, "I had no right to say any of that. I agreed we would just be friends. I'm sorry."

Callie looked at her, her head tilted to one side, saying nothing.

"I-I scared you off. Talking about kids and a house. And you're seeing someone. I can be friends. We can be friends. I'd rather you be in my life, Callie, even just as friends, than not at all."

Callie blinked, head still tilted. She didn't say a word. Arizona was on a roll.

"I'll be off to Africa all the time. It'll be fine. We can be friends. I can even be friends with your girlfriend, I'm sure. She seems nice." Arizona leant back even heavier against her hands, the doorknob pressing into her back, "Though, uh, if she breaks up with you, I consider you fair game."

Callie finally laughed.

Arizona closed her mouth sheepishly.

Callie stood up, "I walked out because I'm not a cheater."

Arizona took a deep breath, eyes closing for a moment before opening them, saying "I know, and I'm so-"

"Arizona, shut up."

Arizona closed her mouth.

Callie took a step forward, "I'm not a cheater. I left because I would've cheated. I told myself it was for other reasons, but really, it's because, well," Callie gave a small laugh, "The feel of you? I would've cheated if I stayed."

Arizona nodded. She swallowed heavily. "Maybe we can't be friends."

Callie shook her head, "No, we can't."

Arizona's face went unreadable. She tilted her chin, setting her jaw, "That's okay, Callie. We can avoid each other. I'll be away a lot."

Callie took another step forward, shaking her head, "We can't be friends."

Arizona's expression remained unreadable, she made her self smile, standing straighter, no longer pressed against the door, "I know. I agree. I'm going to Africa tomorrow for three weeks. It'll give me some space, and I'll come back and-"

Callie, who had been taking another step forward, paused and a look of disbelief crossed her face, "You're going to Africa tomorrow?"

Arizona nodded, confused at the look on Callies face, "Uh-yeah?"

Callie shook her head and laughed.

Arizona raised her eyebrows at her. Callie was actually laughing? "That's funny? Or my being friend zoned by you is funny?"

Callie stepped forward into Arizona's space. Arizona's eyes widened and she went to take a step backwards, to press herself against the door again, Callie's hand on her wrist stopping her.

"It's pretty funny. Why do you always leave for Africa at really inconvenient times?"

Arizona, confused, tilted her head slightly, just looking at her.

Callie smiled softly, letting go of her wrist and bring her hand up to the back of Arizona's neck.

"I left the other night because I'm not a cheater. I-I couldn't be with Mel, and have that happen. I've had it done to me, it doesn't feel good. I went to your house to say pretty much what you just said to me now, that we couldn't be friends-it was too hard. Then you said all that stuff-and it all kind of, clicked." Callie tilted her head again, "You're back for good."

Arizona nodded.

"And if I stayed, well, I would've cheated."

Arizona looked confused.

"I ended it with Mel the next night."

Arizona blinked.

"I needed some time-a few days, you know? To think. To have that relationship be over. It wasn't an easy one to end, and Mel deserved better than being cheated on."

Arizona licked her lips, suddenly dry, and just blinked at her again.

Callie smiled, almost laughing again, "And I was going to come to your place tomorrow night, to tell you. To ask if you wanted to see a movie, or get dinner, or-or something more romantic than that." Callie took a final step forward, hand still resting against Arizona's neck, thighs pressed together, other palm pressed to the door, "Because Arizona, it's always been you."

Arizona swallowed, her smile wide as her words sunk in. Callie was looking at her so softly, her eyes, so expressive, didn't falter from her own. She reached both her hands up, oblivious to the door handle once again jabbing into her back, and grabbed a hold of the lapels of Callie's lab coat, pulling her to her.

No one held back this time. Their lips tugged at each others, tongues traced and sought entrance. Teeth grazed sensitive flesh, thighs slipped between each other, heat radiated between them and they lost themselves in a kiss that felt more overdue than anything else had in their lives before.

It slowed, gradually, both breathless, to end with a final small press of their lips. Callie pulled back slightly, Arizona seemingly unable to do so, and rest their foreheads together, Arizona's hands crushed between them, still gripping her lab coat.

Callie actually laughed once more, her voice slightly hoarse, "And now you're going to Africa tomorrow. Again."

Arizona pressed her lips to Callie's once more, before her own laughter joined hers.

Because really, that was just ridiculous.

####


	30. Chapter 29

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **M! M!? M!  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **You're all awesome. I'm really flattered you've all stuck around this long and seemed to enjoy this fic :) Please note the rating change.  
Who knew my attention span could stick around for this many chapters.  
There was the odd review to the update in my one shots (Please) in which made it sound like they thought it was the next chapter to Dreaming: it wasn't! We last left the girls in an on call room laughing at the ridiculousness of their situation and Arizona's Africa trip timing...:)

**Chapter Twenty Nine  
Finally**

Their laughter was infectious, and once they started, it was kind of hard to stop. They began to quiet, eyes catching, look intensifying. Callie leant in again, Arizona biting her bottom lip, when the sound of Callie's pager going off interrupted them.

Callie blinked owlishly at Arizona a moment before they both burst out laughing again.

"Of course it went off." Arizona rest her hands on Callie's hips as Callie pulled her pager out from her pocket, still leaning heavily against Arizona, thighs pressed together.

She sighed as she looked at it, "I'm going to have to respond to this.

Arizona rolled her eyes playfully, Callie pulling her phone out of her pocket and calling the number.

"This is Torres."

Arizona leant forward, pressing her lips to Callies cheek, to her jaw, brushing them down her neck. Five minutes ago, she thought she'd lost her chance at this forever. She'd even contemplated buying a cat.

Callie's breathing hitched as Arizona sucked on her pulse point, "Ten minutes out?"

Arizona flicked her tongue against the flesh of her neck, blowing against the skin.

"Call Randalls, I, uh, I'm in a surgery this evening."

She hung up the phone. Arizona smiled against her neck, pressing a kiss there a final time before pulling back.

"Liar." Her eyes sparkled with the smile on her lips.

Callie shrugged, "They don't know that." She grabbed Arizona's hand, pulling her forward, she opened the door and tugged her through it. "Come with me."

Arizona grinned and let herself get pulled out of the room, hand linked with Callie's as Callie pulled her to the elevator, leaning forward to press the down button. The doors opened, the elevator empty, and Callie pushed Arizona backwards, her back hitting the far wall, Callie's lips crushing against hers. Her thigh slid between her legs and Arizona moaned into the warmth of Callies tongue. The kiss slowed, lips caressing, tongues flicking against lips. Callies hands cupped her cheeks and Arizona gripped harder at her hips. One hand slid under Callie's shirt, around her back, nails digging in to the skin.

Neither noticed the door's slide open.

Mark and Teddy stood, Teddy's hand paused part way up to her mouth, a grape grasped in her fingers. Both stared, eyebrows raised. Mark slid his foot forward so the doors wouldn't close. Both were standing, waiting for them to notice they were no longer alone.

They glanced at each other and back to the scene in front of them. Teddy felt her eyes widen as Arizona's hand went to Callie's ass and Callie did a little rocking maneuver with her hips.

Mark cleared his throat.

Neither stopped.

Teddy sighed.

Mark cleared his throat again, loudly.

Both women froze. Not stepping apart, Callie turned her head, smirking when she saw who was staring at them. Arizona tilted her head to see past Callie, her mouth parted in surprise.

Teddy grinned, "You two finally pull your heads out of your asses, then?"

Mark laughed.

Callie stepped away from Arizona, taking her hand again. Her breathing was too fast-she felt buoyed up, excited, amazed. She grinned at the two standing in the elevator doorway as she slid past them, Arizona following again.

"Shut up, Teddy."

Teddy's grin didn't falter. She popped the grape in to her mouth and happily chewed on it as her and Mark sidled into the elevator, watching the women walk towards the front entrance.

"Finally."

Mark looked at Teddy, "Damn straight."

"You know Arizona is going back to Africa for three weeks tomorrow, right?"

Mark burst out laughing.

Teddy whacked him in the chest, trying not to laugh, "It's not funny."

"Oh, come on. That? That's pretty funny."

####

Arizona and Callie exited the hospital, hands clasped. They paused out the front.

Callie smiled, "Did you want to get some dinner? Go on that date?"

Arizona tilted her head, "Have some wine? Some conversation?"

"Yeah. Get to know each other again."

"Be adults?"

Callie grinned, "Exactly."

The next thing, they were bursting through Arizona's apartment door, it slamming shut behind them. They walked blindly, clothes falling off of them.

"We've been adults enough, anyway," Callie gasped as Arizona's nails dragged up her back, pulling her shirt off with it.

Arizona felt hands tugging at her pants, "Agreed."

"What time do you have to be at the airport?" Callie's lips pressed against her neck, her hand unclasping Arizona's bra.

Arizona tugged at the drawstring of Callie's scrubs, "By seven." She tugged them down and Callie kicked them off.

"I hate your clinic."

She pressed her lips to Callie's, pulling back to mock glare at her, "My clinic is amazing."

Callie grinned, "It does amazing things, yes. But I hate it."

Arizona grabbed Callie's ass, both hands digging in to the bare flesh, both groaning as their naked bodies pressed flush together, "I kind of hate it right now, too."

They fell backwards on the bed, Arizona landing on top of Callie. She straddled her, hands resting either side of her head, gazing down at her, hovering a foot away from her.

"I missed you." She said simply.

Callie's hands came up to wrap in her hair, the smile on her face, the feel of her under her, making Arizona's heart race. She'd spent the last few weeks wanting to have this-the last two years, if she was honest. And here it was.

Finally.

Callie pulled her down, their lips grazing. Arizona traced her tongue along Callie's lips, digging her fingers into Callie's shoulder as she sucked it into her mouth. She rocked her hips, pressing herself down and into Callie and both women groaned at the contact. Arizona's hand ran down Callies skin, fingers tracing around her nipple, Callie rocking up against her in response when she rolled it between her fingertips.

Callie buried her hand in Arizona's hair as lips moved down her neck, tongue flicking against her collar bone. She couldn't stop her hips from moving up as Arizona thrust down, the feeling of Arizona, spread over her, the heat of her pressing into her centre, driving her crazy. She felt Arizona's hot mouth over her nipple, her tongue tracing patterns, and as she wrapped her lips around it, Callies other hand fell to Arizona's hip, digging her finger tips in to the skin. She held her firm, urging her hips on in their rhythm. Arizona's tongue rolled against her nipple in time with her hips and Callie couldn't stop her hand from grasping at the hair wrapped in her fingers.

"Jesus, Arizona."

She sat up suddenly, Arizona ending up seated between Callies legs, her own still wrapped around Callie, heels digging into the mattress, arms around her neck. Callie pulled Arizona against her lips, crushing her in to a kiss that was all teeth and tongue. Her hand left her hips, running down her thigh, she ran her fingers down and both women groaned as Callie sank two fingers into the wet heat she found there. Arizona wasted no time, mimicking her, her fingers thrusting into Callie.

Their lips tore apart as they both moaned, thrusting in to each other in time. Both their free hands held the back of each others neck, Arizonas heels dug harder in to the mattress, sliding to connect with Callies ass, pushing the woman harder against her fingers.

"Fuck." Callie slammed her head forward, her forehead against Arizona's shoulder, her nails biting in to the skin of her neck. Arizona turned her head, pressing her face into Callies hair.

"Harder, Callie." Callie groaned, the thrusting of her fingers increasing, Arizona's fingers curling as she pumped her own. The sound of Arizona gasping in time with their movements, right in her ear, almost sent Callie over the edge. Her head lifted up, her forehead pressed to Arizona's, pressing forward to kiss her, messy. She flicked her thumb up, pressing down, feeling Arizona's do the same. Arizona's hand wrapped into her hair, pulling hard, Callies head falling back, Arizona's lips against her neck as she felt her tighten around her fingers. Both of them groaned, the heels digging into her ass, hard, as their bodies tensed. They came, one after the other, nails clawing.

Shuddering, they pressed harder against each other as they came down, fingers still moving. They slowed and stopped, both breathless, covered in a sheen of sweat. Arizona nuzzled Callie's neck, running her nose up and against her cheek. Callie hummed and tugged her backwards, pulling them both down against the bed. Arizona slid onto her side, tugging Callie onto hers. Her hand ran down Callie's side to her thigh, tugging behind her knee to lift it up to hook over her own hip, effectively pressing them close together. Her hand snaked over her waist, fingers running up and down her back.

Callie brought her hand up and tangled it back in Arizona's hair. They lay, wrapped in each other, staring

A small smile hovered over Callie's lips.

Arizona smiled lazily, eyes hooded, "What?"

"That was a really romantic dinner."

Arizona laughed, "We really caught up, heard about the last two years."

"I feel like we really reconnected."

Arizona smirked slightly, "Oh, we reconnected."

"Yeah we did." Callie tilted her head slightly, pressing their lips together firmly, pulling back to look her in the eye again. "Arizona?"

"Mm?"

"I missed you, too." Arizona smiled, kissing her again softly. The silence hovered for a moment, comfortable.

"What if I'd gotten on the plane?"

"Huh?"

"What if I hadn't seen you go in to the on call room? I'd have flown off for three weeks thinking I had to fruitlessly try and get over you."

Callie nuzzled down into her neck, kissing her softly on her collar bone, "Maybe you were just meant to see me go in there."

Arizona gave a small laugh, "Right, 'cause stuff like that always works out for us, timing wise."

Callie smiled against her neck, "Maybe it does."

"Hm?" Arizona fluttered her eyes closed, fingers still tracing patterns on Callie's back.

Callie pulled back, Arizona's eyes opening to look at her, "What did you mean, when you said that speech? And you said Africa made you discover these things about yourself you never wanted before?"

Arizona smiled, "So you did listen to all of that." Callie rolled her eyes, and Arizona stopped being as playful, "I don't know, Callie. I-I never thought I wanted all of those things, or at least most of it. Especially the kids part."

Callie looked surprised, "You didn't want kids?" She looked her up and down, "You wear rollarskates for shoes!"

Arizona shrugged, burying her face in to Callie's neck, "I didn't think I did, no. Actually, I was sure I didn't."

"Huh."

"Hm?"

"Lucky you went to Africa, then."

Arizona kissed her neck, "Yeah?"

"Well, kids are something that, down the road, I just have to have. Kind of a deal breaker issue."

Arizona pulled back, smiling at her softly, "Well, lucky I went to Africa then."

"Exactly." Callie's voice was soft, "We've both, changed, over the last few years, grown up. But this," she gestured between them, "This is still here after all that. Who knows what would have happened if you didn't go?"

They kissed again, lips pressing, parting slightly as tongues slid against each other. Callie pulled back, "Wait a minute. Are we together all of, like, three hours and talking kids?"

Arizona's eyes widened, expression half playful, half serious, "God, no! That'd be worse than a u-haul." A beat of silence echoed around them, "Wait, we're together?" She couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips.

Callie grinned as well, rolling on top of her, legs sliding between each other, "That parts non-negotiable."

"Oh." Arizona smiled, "Good."

Callie laughed, leaning down and kissing Arizona again. She trailed her lips down her neck, tongue and teeth teasing her skin. She almost sighed with the happiness of it, as her tongue flicked over Arizona nipple, hands wrapped in her hair and Arizona breathed her name out.

"Callie."

Just like that. Like Callie was the only one who could make her feel like that.

####

The alarm was loud, obnoxious and wouldn't stop. Callie whimpered and wrapped her arm tighter around Arizona's stomach, pulling her back in tighter against her front.

Arizona sighed and lifted up on to her elbow, reaching her hand across to silence the alarm. Callie lifted her head slightly, seeing them time, and dropped her head dramatically back in to her pillow, "Ugh. Five thirty is not even a time."

Arizona smirked, "Still as much as a morning person as ever?"

Callie turned her head slightly, one eye showing amongst the bed hair and pillow she'd disappeared in, "Still as perky and awake at stupid times as ever?"

Smiling, Arizona leant down and pressed a kiss against her lips, "You're so sweet to me."

Callie gave a laugh and tugged her back down, Arizona landing on top of her, their legs tangling together. Arizona propped her self up on her hand, elbow digging in to the pillow near Callie's head.

"Morning."

Callie grinned, "Good morning."

Arizona kissed her, lips grazing hers, "So I'm feeling surprisingly super for someone on three hours sleep."

"Me too-I can't think why."

"Me neither. You obviously have nothing to do with it."

"Clearly. Neither does all the sex."

"Nope." Grinning, Arizona wrapped an arm around Callie, head dropping next to hers on the pillow. "I can't believe I'm leaving for three weeks."

"Me neither." She mock glared at her.

"Hey! It's your fault. I had to get away from you, I was failing miserably at being friends."

Callie laughed, leaning her head down to bite playfully at her neck, "You really were. You make a terrible friend."

"Yeah, well, I don't go around making those kind of proclamations to all my friends."

"I'd hope not."

They lay contentedly, tangled up.

"I'm trying to be sad you're going for three weeks," Arizona pulled her head back slightly, raising her eyebrows at Callie, "And I am!" She quickly added, "I am, I'm pissed that our timing is just-crap. But, I can't be that upset because I'm too happy, right now. The second you get on the plane I'm sure I'll be annoyed. But right now? Far too happy."

A slow smile crept over Arizona's lips as Callie talked, "I know what you mean." She murmured, leaning forward to kiss her again. She sighed at the contact, "Teddy and Mark looked relieved this finally happened."

"Yeah, well, they had to listen to me this entire time."

Arizona smirked, "True."

"They'll have to listen to me the next three weeks, too."

Arizona laughed, rolling slightly, she looked at the time. She sighed and rolled back, "I really have to get moving." She sat up, looking down at Callie, who's eyes were raking down her naked back, "Quickie in the shower, then coffee?"

Callie nodded, grinning widely as she followed her in to the bathroom.

The quickie turned in to a not so quickie that had them getting dressed in a hurry, Arizona making them coffee while running a brush through her hair, Callie trying desperately to smear make up too light for her skin tone on her neck.

"You gave me a hickey!"

"You weren't complaining at the time." Arizona looked up at from the coffee machine, trying not to laugh when she caught sight of Callie, whos skin tone made it look like she'd smeared whiteout on her neck. She swallowed the laugh at the scowl on her face, "Trying to cover it looks, um, worse. I'll lend you a scarf."

Callie wandered back in to the bathroom to wash the make up off, muttering to her self.

"Are you muttering at me in Spanish?!" Arizona called out.

"Uh-not any more." The reply came from the bathroom.

Callie reappeared, neck wiped clean and wandered in to the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Arizona's waist from behind, dropping a kiss against her shoulder. Arizona turned in her arms, smiling at her. She looked at her neck and back up, "It's not that bad."

Callie raised her eyebrows at her.

"Okay, so it's more a bite mark than a hickey." Arizona kissed her, pulling back with a smile, "Had to mark you as mine, you know, before I left the country."

Callie rolled her eyes playfully, kissing her again. Arizona deepened the kiss, tongues sliding in to her mouth. Callie tugged at her hips, pulling her up so she was sitting on the kitchen bench. Arizona wrapped her legs around her, pulling her against her. As Callie's lips trailed down her neck, she caught site of the time on the clock on the wall.

"Callie." She groaned as Callie sucked on her pulse point, hands sliding up under her shirt, cupping her breasts over her bra, "Callie." She pulled the shirt up, dropping her lips to kiss the skin over the line of her bra, causing another groan to fall from her lips, "Callie! I'm going to be late."

"How late?" Callie murmured against her skin. One hand continued to hold her shirt up, the other tugged her bra cup down, lips wrapping around Arizona's nipple.

Arizona groaned, hand coming up to cup the back of her head, "Shit. Uh, late late. The shower went too long and now I'm genuinely running late."

"Okay." Callie said simply, stepping back, tugging Arizona's bra back up and pulling down her shirt.

Arizona blinked at her, the loss of sensation so suddenly making her look sulky, "Uh-"

Callie smirked, kissing her once, "Lets go then."

Arizona glared at her, "Mean."

She shrugged, "You're leaving the country. That's meaner."

"Touche."

They gathered their things, Arizona grabbing her suitcase, they headed down stairs and hailed a cab fairly quickly.

They sat in the back, hands clasped between them.

"This is a lot less depressing than the last time we did this." Callie murmured, looking at her.

Arizona grinned, "Three weeks is a lot less time than two years."

Callie nodded, "Yup. And you're coming back to me."

Arizona nodded, "I am." The smiled at each other.

The taxi pulled up and they slid out, checking Arizona in and collecting her boarding pass. They wandered over and stood at the security gate, Callie unable to go any further. Arizona dropped her bag for the plane at her feet, laying her jacket on it. She grabbed Callies hand, tugging her forward so they stood close.

"Here we are." Arizona smiled, "Again."

"Your timing with us and Africa is seriously ridiculous."

Arizona wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling Callie in further, their foreheads resting together. Callies hands gripped her arms.

"To be fair, each time I had no idea you would come along."

Callie smiled, "True. And this time is much nicer than last time, anyway."

Arizona laughed, "I suppose we should get used to this. I'm going to be coming and going from Africa a fair bit for the next year or so."

Callie's voice dropped to a whisper, "You'll definitely be coming."

Arizona smirked, "Are you fifteen?"

"Sometimes." Callie smiled, "I'm okay with the always going to Africa thing. It just sucks we only got our act together last night."

Arizona nodded, "It does. But think of the dirty emails."

"And Skype."

"And phone sex."

They were both grinning. Their heads tilted up to listen as they heard Arizona's flight be called for the second time.

"I don't want to say goodbye." Arizona tightened her arms, feeling Callie's fingers tighten against her arm.

"Let's just make it see you soon."

"Agreed."

Arizona tilted her head forward, pressing her lips to Callie's. Neither seemed to care they were in an airport as the kiss deepened, Callie's hands wrapping in Arizona's hair, mouths parting, tongues sliding together. Arizona's hands came up, grabbing at Callie's jacket. The kiss slowed down, ending with them pressing their lips together twice, foreheads pressed together again, both slightly breathless.

"See you soon?"

"See you soon."

Arizona bent and grabbed her bag and jacket, walking towards the security gate. Callie stood watching her, arms crossed, a small smile on her lips. Before Arizona was completely out of sight, she turned, threw Callie a grin, and waved once. Callie, grinning like an idiot, raised her hand back, watching Arizona turn and disappear.

Even with Arizona having to fly in and out of the country for the next few years, with the way Callie was felling, it was going to be the best few years of her life.

**THE END**

There will be a short Epilogue thing :). So think of this as the second last chapter if you want :)


	31. Epilogue

**Title: **Dreaming  
**Author: **gabs88  
**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona  
**Summary: **Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?  
**Rating: **T  
**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.  
**Note: **I didn't want to write this because I didn't want it to end. What am I going to do now!? ;). Just note I've taken liberty with legality issues in this chapter.

Thanks so much for those who have read, reviewed, followed and favourited (is that a word?). Thanks for all the feedback of all types-I'm glad a lot of people have enjoyed the story I felt the urge to tell. It's been fun! I've loved reading everyone's thoughts on it all-it's all that has kept me motivated. I know it would have been nice to have more chapters of them together, but it just felt right to finish where it did. Sorry to those who wanted more of that :).

Okay, so I had some trouble writing this-I kept trying to write more chapters to just follow up the final one-my mind is rebelling the idea of completing this story. But, alas, I scrapped those pieces and wrote the short Epilogue-summing up a multi chapter fic is hard! I may (see: will) be compelled down the road to write a sequel of one shots based in this 'verse-but, for now, I bid you farewell (from this fic, anyway). I hope you like it. THANK YOU, again :)

**Chapter Thirty  
Epilogue**

"I've done this flight so many times, you'd think I wouldn't be nervous anymore."

Arizona's leg was jumping up and down as she bounced her foot. Callie smiled and turned from where she was staring at the clouds and put her hand on Arizona's knee, stilling it.

"Yeah, well, this one's a little different."

They smiled at each other, Arizona linking their hands over her knee. She ran her thumb over Callie's wedding band, "Barely married a year and this is happening-do we move too fast?"

Callie actually laughed, "I think we've moved at the perfect pace-besides, we waited over two years to get married." She quirked an eyebrow, "And we had the longest foreplay in the world until we actually got together."

Arizona smirked and lowered her voice, "Does it count as foreplay? I remember some incredibly hot sex, especially after I showed up on your doorstep when I came back for a night after six months in Africa."

Callie grinned, "I meant metaphorical foreplay." She leant forward, whispering in Arizona's ear, "Though that was the hottest sex, like, ever."

Arizona turned so their faces were inches from each other, head tilted slightly, "Hotter than our honeymoon?" Callie's eyes suddenly widened, her face almost comical as she looked completely torn. Arizona laughed softly, "Breathe, Callie, it's not a life or death question."

Callie leant back in her seat, smiling, hands still linked with Arizona's, "That was mean."

"I was genuinely curious."

"Yeah, well, the sex has just gotten better and better, which is amazing, because our first time was the best I'd ever had."

Arizona tried to smother the smug look on her face, "We need to stop talking about sex on the plane, because everyone can probably hear us, and it makes me want to attempt sex _on_ a plane again-and it didn't go well the first time."

Callie flushed furiously, "We would have gotten away with it if that stupid flight attendant hadn't caught us."

Arizona smirked, "Yeah, well, you weren't very quiet."

"Shut up."

Arizona laughed and brought their hands up, kissing the back of Callie's, their eyes catching over their joined hands, small smiles on their lips, before letting them rest on her knee again.

"Oh, Mark called when we were leaving, I forgot to tell you. He said to say thanks for looking at Bonnie yesterday, and that you were right- she's fine."

Arizona rolled her eyes good naturedly, "I told him six times she was fine. He even made Alex run a CT."

"Does Lexie know that she rolled off the couch yet?"

Arizona shook her head, "Nope. Mark swore me to secrecy after following me around the entire hospital yesterday repeatedly making me examine her. You know, I looked up during an appy and he was sitting in the gallery?"

Callie laughed, "He's the most over protective dad ever. It's actually really sweet."

"Well, she's only four months old right now. She's going to do a lot worse than roll off the couch."

"Don't tell Mark that. His head may explode."

"I pity her boyfriends."

Callie's eyes widened, "Hopefully they tighten gun control by then, otherwise, me too."

A voice crackled over the intercom, telling the patrons and crew to prepare for landing. Arizona's grip tightened in Callies.

Callie grinned across at her, "Okay. So, straight there, then to the hotel room to settle in?"

Arizona nodded, "Then a night here, then back home for eight weeks off to enjoy ourselves?"

"Exactly. Oh, and Teddy will be visiting in two weeks as well!"

"Thank God." Arizona bounced once in her chair, "Maybe we can convince her to move back?"

"We'll have our secret weapon?"

"She'll be unable to resist."

####

The hotel room was lit only by a lamp, their room quiet as they lay on the huge bed. Callie's hand trailed up Arizona's side, the other burying in her hair to hold her against her as their mouths moved against each other. Arizona rolled on top of Callie, her thigh slipping between her own, sighs leaving both their lips at the contact.

A cry interrupted them.

Arizona pulled back, grinning down at Callie, "We better get used to that."

Callie laughed, "Yep."

"I'll go."

Arizona went to stand up, Callie's hand wrapped around her forearm, "You stay, I'll go."

"No, no, it's alright, I'll get up." Arizona slipped her legs over the side of te bed, sitting up.

Callie sat up aswell, "I don't mind."

Arizona cracked up, eyes rolling, "I'm already up-I'll come right back in here."

Callie lay back on the bed, laughing, listening to Arizona pad out of the room and return within thirty seconds. She stood beside the bed, the two month old baby boy cradled against her chest, his fist in his mouth. Callie couldn't stop the smile that spread across her lips as she stared, the site of Arizona holding him making her melt as it had when they had picked him up from the orphanage that morning.

"We must be the only parents in the world who argue because we _want_ to get up."

Arizona chuckled, her hand running up and down the babies back, "I'm sure we'll change our tune after a few weeks." She pressed a kiss to his temple.

She got back on the bed, laying him down between them. Callie and Arizona both lay on their sides, heads resting on their hands, propped up on their elbows, staring down at the tiny baby who had settled contentedly the minute he'd been laid between them.

Callie couldn't stop smiling, "Hi, baby boy." Her voice was low, "Nope, Teddy won't be able to resist you."

Arizona lay her hand on his stomach, Callie sliding hers on top of it. They rest there gently, feeling him breathing, watching him stare sleepily around the room. He reached up an un-coordinated hand, grasping the necklace that dangled from Arizona's neck, fingers wrapping around it.

There had never been a question, for Arizona, or for Callie, really, when it came to where to adopt from. Africa had always been the answer. And when Arizona had hesitantly broached the idea of adopting a HIV positive child, she was surprised when, for Callie, there was barely a question there, either.

Callie had worked at the clinic from as soon as her and Arizona had gotten back together almost four years ago, and had fallen in love with the kids she was involved with as much at Arizona had. It hadn't taken her long to see why Arizona wanted to give a home to one, eventually. The amount of children they treated from the orphanages was almost heartbreaking. When they'd gotten married, they'd started the paperwork process almost immediately, knowing it could take a lot of time and knowing neither really wanted to wait.

A year down the road, a lot of patience and some pull thanks to Arizona's work, and here they were.

Callie leant down, pressing a kiss to a chubby cheek, "I'm so looking forward to getting to know you, little man." Her eyes flicked up to see Arizona looking at her, her face soft. Callie smiled, "What?"

Arizona shrugged, lifting her hand up to untangle tiny fingers from the chain around her neck, smiling as those fingers wrapped around her own and were pulled instantly to his mouth. "I just," She looked back up at Callie, her eyes shimmering, "I love you." She said simply.

Callie smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to Arizona's lips, pulling back and resting their foreheads together. She looked at Arizona intently, "I love you, too."

A raspberry noise came from beneath them and they both looked down, grinning at the baby whose'big dark eyes were watching them seriously, bubbles at his lips.

Arizona grinned, wriggling her fingers where they were still grasped in his strong little grip, now held tight against his ear, "And you? We loved you before we even met you."

Some things? Some things take awhile to work out. But when they do, everything can just fall in to place and become a little bit perfect.

####


End file.
